Ivan Toney will captain Brentford against Nottingham Forest on Saturday when he makes his comeback after an eight-month ban from the Football Association for breaching gambling regulations.

Brentford boss Thomas Frank began his press conference ahead of the clash with Forest by confirming that 27-year-old Toney will not only start the match but lead the side out in the absence of the injured Christian Norgaard.

Asked how Toney had been in training this week, Frank replied: “He (Toney) is buzzing. He’s very committed and excited. He can’t wait.

“He will start tomorrow and he will lead the team out as Christian is injured.”

Tottenham defender Sergio Reguilon has joined Brentford on loan until the end of the season.

The Bees are short of full-back options with first-choice left-back Rico Henry ruled out for the rest of the campaign with a knee injury.

Thomas Frank has used Aaron Hickey and even attacker Saman Ghoddos out wide, while also deploying a 3-5-2 formation, but will be able to call upon recognised left-back Reguilon for the remainder of the season.

Brentford head coach Frank said: “This is a very good signing for us. We’ve been talking for a while about how we need a good left-back and we managed to get a very good left-back.

“Sergio is a perfect fit for us: a proven Premier League player in every aspect. He fits what we want. He’s very offensive, has a very good cross and a very good left foot.

“He’s got the experience we need to complement the rest of the squad and he’s a good character.

“We need him, but I also think he needs us to show how good a footballer he is. I’m convinced that this will be a positive partnership.”

Reguilon spent the first half of the campaign with Manchester United and made 12 appearances, but returned to Spurs this month after Erik ten Hag’s side decided to activate a break clause in the deal.

Another temporary move away from north London was always expected with Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou boasting plenty of competition in the left-back area.

Brentford have secured Reguilon’s services in a straight loan deal with no option or obligation to make the transfer permanent, the PA news agency understands.

One-time Spain international Reguilon could make his Bees debut in Saturday’s Premier League home fixture with Nottingham Forest, but will sit out the trip to parent club Spurs on January 31 owing to the terms of his loan.

Brentford striker Ivan Toney has not ruled out a big-money move to a leading club this month after completing his eight-month football ban.

Toney’s suspension for breaching Football Association gambling rules ended on Wednesday and he could return to action on Saturday in the Bees’ home Premier League game against Nottingham Forest.

The 27-year-old, who scored 20 goals in 33 Premier League appearances last season before being suspended in May, has been linked with both Arsenal and Chelsea.

He celebrated the end of his ban from football with a social media post declaring he was “free”.

When asked if this month was not the right time to leave Brentford, Toney told Sky Sports: “Well I don’t know, you can never predict when is the right time to move elsewhere.

“It’s obvious I’d like to play for a top club, everybody wants to play for the top clubs, fighting for titles and these kinds of things.

“So whether it’s this January for a club to come in and pay the right money, who knows?

“But my main focus is doing what I do on the pitch and let the background work take care of itself.”

Toney made his England debut during a European Championship qualifying win against Ukraine last March and reiterated his desire to become his country’s leading striker.

“To be the best you have to play with the best and competing against the best,” he said.

“Harry Kane is one of the best strikers in the world and he’s been doing it for some years now, so if I want to be England’s number one I’ve got to compete against him.

“He’s not a bad striker to be taking tips off. I’ve just got to keep scoring goals and keep playing well and who knows what can happen?”

Toney has been diagnosed as a gambling addict, but is confident he has beaten the habit.

“Sometimes you just don’t realise what you’re doing in the moment,” he added. “It’s sorted out now.

“I’ve spoken to people about it and it’s all sorted now, so I’ll focus on doing the right thing. I’ll do none of that rubbish now, it’s all good.”

Frank said before his side’s FA Cup replay defeat at Wolves on Tuesday night that Toney “will be absolutely on it and ready for Saturday” and was hopeful of keeping hold of the striker at least until the end of the season.

“It’s a team he’s really enjoying being part of, with some good mates, enjoying their football together, enjoying playing for Brentford and for the fans,” Frank said.

“We’ve done everything we can to help him through this. We’d like to keep him, but we know how football is.”

Toney was also fined £50,000 and warned about his future conduct for 232 breaches of the FA’s betting rules.

Brentford striker Ivan Toney has celebrated the end of his eight-month ban from football with a social media post declaring he is “free”.

Toney’s suspension for breaching Football Association gambling rules ends on Wednesday and he could return to action on Saturday in Brentford’s home Premier League game against Nottingham Forest.

Bees head coach Thomas Frank said before his side’s FA Cup replay defeat at Wolves on Tuesday night that Toney “will be absolutely on it and ready for Saturday”.

Toney has been linked with both Arsenal and Chelsea during the transfer window, but Frank is hoping to keep hold of the 27-year-old at least until the end of the season.

“It’s a team he’s really enjoying being part of, with some good mates, enjoying their football together, enjoying playing for Brentford and for the fans,” Frank added.

“We’ve done everything we can to help him through this. We’d like to keep him, but we know how football is.”

Toney’s last competitive match was in Brentford’s 1-0 defeat at Liverpool on May 6, but he has been allowed to train with his team-mates since September.

He made his England debut during a European Championship qualifying win against Ukraine last March and has scored 32 goals in 64 Premier League appearances for Brentford.

Toney was also fined £50,000 and warned about his future conduct for 232 breaches of the FA’s betting rules.

Tottenham defender Sergio Reguilon is set to join Brentford on loan until the end of the season, the PA news agency understands.

The Bees are short of full-back options with first-choice left-back Rico Henry ruled out of the rest of the campaign with a knee injury.

Thomas Frank has used Aaron Hickey and even attacker Saman Ghoddos out wide, while also deploying a 3-5-2 formation, but will be able to call upon recognised left-back Reguilon for the remainder of the season.

Reguilon spent the first half of the campaign with Manchester United and made 12 appearances, but returned to Spurs this month after Erik ten Hag’s side decided to active a break clause in the deal.

Another temporary move away from north London was always expected with Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou boasting plenty of competition in the left-back area.

Brentford have secured Reguilon’s services in a straight loan deal with no option or obligation to make the transfer permanent, PA understands.

One-time Spanish international Reguilon could make his Bees debut in Saturday’s Premier League home fixture with Nottingham Forest, but will sit out the trip to parent club Spurs on January 31 owing to the terms of his loan.

Boss Gary O’Neil insisted Wolves must maintain their focus after booking an FA Cup Black Country derby against West Brom.

Matheus Cunha’s penalty saw off Brentford 3-2 after extra time on Tuesday and sent Wolves into the fourth round.

Nelson Semedo and Nathan Fraser twice hit back for the hosts after goals from Nathan Collins and Neal Maupay in an entertaining replay.

Wolves now go to The Hawthorns on January 28 for the first Black Country derby in three years – and first with fans in attendance since 2012.

“As soon as we walked off I was thinking about Brighton (in the Premier League). I understand fans will be excited, it will be a big atmosphere, it hasn’t been played with fans for a while,” O’Neil said.

“I can’t wait to lead the team down there and see if we can progress again. There’s a Premier League game coming up and I have a very small tired group to do some work with before we go to Brighton.

“I have mixed feelings about the performance but I’m delighted with the win. The lads have worked unbelievably hard over the two ties. We’ve talked about taking the FA Cup seriously, we went down to 10 men at Brentford and tonight got a bit awkward for us.

“The players deserve credit for how they have approached the whole tie. We gave Brentford a bit of a lift by giving them two crazy goals.”

Collins, who joined Brentford from Wolves for £23million in the summer, opened the scoring after 13 minutes when he prodded in after Kristoffer Ajer’s shot was saved.

Semedo and Pablo Sarabia went close before Semedo levelled after 36 minutes when he tapped in after Thomas Strakosha saved his initial header.

Back came Brentford, though, and Maupay restored their lead six minutes into the second half after a VAR check for offside.

Yet Wolves equalised again with 17 minutes left, Fraser drilling into the corner three minutes after coming on.

It set up extra time and Shandon Baptiste had a shot turned on to the post by Jose Sa before Cunha won it in stoppage time of the first period when Pedro Neto was tripped in the box.

Brentford will now have Ivan Toney available when his eight-month suspension for betting breaches ends on Wednesday.

Boss Thomas Frank said: “It’s massive, no doubt. It’s like signing a Premier League striker who can score 20 goals because he’s proved it.

“Every team would be happy to sign a quality player like him. Ivan is a top player but he’s also very good at making the whole team better.

“Tonight we did a lot of things right. The first half was a bit direct from our side. I was very pleased with the second half and in extra time. In general we put a lot of effort into the game and we could have won.

“The game was decided by a penalty which, in my opinion, is not there. Ben (Mee) clearly hit the ball into Neto’s feet. It’s difficult to make a call but unfortunately I can’t alter that.”

Wolves set up an FA Cup derby showdown with West Brom after a battling extra-time win over Brentford.

Matheus Cunha’s penalty sent Gary O’Neil’s side through to the fourth round as the hosts eventually sealed a 3-2 replay victory at Molineux.

Wolves hit back through Nelson Semedo and Nathan Fraser in normal time after Nathan Collins and Neal Maupay twice gave the visitors the lead.

But Cunha’s extra-time spot kick booked a Black Country derby at the Hawthorns, the first in three years, on January 28.

The Bees will be left with a blank weekend but will at least have Ivan Toney available having missed him during a barren winter, during which they have won once since the start of November.

The striker completes his eight-month ban for betting breaches on Wednesday.

The 1-1 draw in the initial tie ended a five-game losing streak for the Bees and confidence still looked low until they scored against the run of play after 13 minutes.

Wolves had been in the ascendancy but were caught when Kristoffer Ajer wriggled goalside of Matt Doherty.

His fierce effort was parried by Jose Sa but, when the ball was played back in, Maupay’s shot was blocked and Collins bundled the ball in from six yards.

It was part redemption for Collins who endured a nightmare against his former club in the Premier League last month, gifting them three goals in a 4-1 defeat.

It failed to deflate Wolves, though, and they went close to a leveller after half an hour.

Cunha cross found the unmarked Semedo and, with Thomas Strakosha stranded, the defender’s shot was blocked by Brentford’s massed ranks on the line.

The ball ran for Pablo Sarabia but he could only put his effort into the side netting.

Yet the hosts did not have to wait long for a leveller six minutes later when Semedo reached Cunha’s flighted cross, his header was parried by Strakosha but he had the easiest of tasks of tapping in the rebound.

It should have given Wolves the extra momentum but they were behind again six minutes after the break.

Keane Lewis-Potter’s cross caused problems on the edge of the box and when the ball ran to Maupay he smashed in high from eight yards. The striker was initially ruled offside but, after a two-minute VAR check, the goal was given.

Maupay has scored just four goals this season – and only five since February 2022 – with two coming against Wolves after his strike in the original game.

Brentford were dreaming of the fourth round, which they had only gone beyond once since 2006, and Mikkel Damsgaard curled a free kick at Sa.

But the tie continued to twist and Wolves levelled again with 18 minutes left when substitute Fraser, on for just three minutes, drilled into the corner.

A minute later the forward should have put the hosts ahead only for Strakosha to pull off a wonderful close-range stop.

From then extra time loomed and Sa turned Shandon Baptiste’s effort onto the post soon after the restart.

But Wolves snatched a deserved win in stoppage time of the first period when Cunha converted from the spot after Pedro Neto had been tripped.

Thomas Frank is increasingly confident of Ivan Toney remaining a Brentford player for the rest of the season as he prepares to make his long-awaited comeback from suspension.

The striker’s eight-month ban for breaching Football Association gambling rules ends on Wednesday, making him available for the team’s next Premier League fixture at home to Nottingham Forest.

Before that he will sit out Brentford’s FA Cup third-round replay against Wolves at Molineux on Tuesday.

There have been reports linking Toney, who made his England debut during a European Championship qualifying win against Ukraine last March, with a move to either Arsenal or Chelsea during the January transfer window.

However, with the Bees struggling in the league having lost their last five games and seven of their last eight, the manager thinks he has seen enough from Toney to indicate he intends to see out the campaign before seeking a move.

“If Ivan can write it his way, no doubt he would like to come back and do fantastically well, and give something back,” said Frank.

“He missed playing football, missed being part of the team. He will be absolutely on it and ready for Saturday.

“It’s a team he’s really enjoying being part of, with some good mates, enjoying their football together, enjoying playing for Brentford and for the fans.

“We’ve done everything we can to help him through this. We’d like to keep him, but we know how football is.

“It’s turning out to be what I would like to say is the right outcome. I’d like to keep him for as long as possible, but that’s not up to me.”

Toney has not played competitively since Brentford’s 1-0 defeat away to Liverpool on May 6, but has been permitted to train with his teammates since September.

Frank is hopeful the striker can recover his sharpness quickly in order to help the team avoid being sucked into a relegation fight during the second half of the season.

They currently enjoy a three-point gap to Luton in 18th place.

“I hope we prepared him that well that he’ll hit the ground running,” he said. “I think it’s important to remember he’s not been injured, so he’s been training and he’s very fit and ready to go.

“I’m not saying that it can’t take a little bit of time to hit the absolute max, but I’m pretty sure he’ll come in on a high level.

“Plus, the excitement and enthusiasm of finally being able to play. I think we all, no matter what low-level sport we have done, finally to do something you’re very excited about, you find some extra energy, you find an extra level and motivation.

“He’s got plenty of motivation in him, no doubt about that.”

What the papers say

Conor Gallagher is reportedly at the head of Tottenham’s transfer wishlist as Ange Postecoglou searches for a number eight. According to The Independent, Spurs are aiming to complete the transfer in January, with Chelsea bosses believed to be willing to make a deal for the right price.

Staying with Tottenham, The Independent says Bayern Munich are in talks to sign Spurs defender Eric Dier. It comes after the north London outfit beat Bayern in the race for the signature of centre-back Radu Dragusin.

The Telegraph reports Newcastle have had an approach for forward Dominic Solanke turned down by Bournemouth. Bosses at the Cherries are said to be determined not to release the 26-year-old this month.

Brentford and Crystal Palace are interested in Sunderland forward Jack Clarke, according to the Evening Standard.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Erling Haaland: AS reports Real Madrid are assessing a potential approach for the Manchester City striker amid concerns over whether Kylian Mbappe will leave Paris St Germain to join them.

Hannibal Mejbri: The Evening Standard says the Manchester United midfielder is on the brink of a move to Sevilla after choosing the LaLiga side over Everton, with the loan fee reportedly stretching to seven figures.

The January transfer window gives clubs an opportunity to reshape their squad for the second half of the season or for players to take on fresh challenges. Here, the PA news agency looks at who is making some of the headlines.

Manchester United

After performing way below expectations during the first half of the campaign, the need for a squad refresh at Old Trafford is clear. Primarily, Erik Ten Hag would seem to require a forward to give the attack more of a cutting edge and a defender, where he has not settled on a preferred centre-back pairing. New faces would also give the place a lift in general but some players may need to be moved on first. The futures of Rafael Varane and Casemiro are uncertain while Anthony Martial is again being linked with a move away. Outcast Jadon Sancho appears set for a loan move to former club Borussia Dortmund.

Chelsea

The Stamford Bridge outfit have spent more than £1billion on transfer fees over the past 18 months but results this season indicate they have not yet got things right. Bringing a centre forward would appear to be a necessity for manager Mauricio Pochettino but the Londoners also need to give serious thought to balancing the books. Outgoings are likely with rumours abounding over the future of Conor Gallagher, despite some impressive recent performances. With his contract due to expire in 2025, the England midfielder could be let go for around £50million.

Kalvin Phillips

Phillips has failed to establish himself at Manchester City since his £42million switch from Leeds in the summer of 2022. Injuries curtailed his involvement last season and, with so much quality in Pep Guardiola’s squad, even substitute appearances have been few and far between. As Euro 2024 approaches, Phillips may have to move now to ensure he stays in the England picture. Newcastle are apparently keen but there has also been reported interest from Juventus.

Jordan Henderson

The former Liverpool captain could be on the move again after reports emerged over the weekend that he would like to cut short his stay in Saudi Arabia, where he signed a three-year contract with Al-Ettifaq amid much controversy last summer. At 33 and still firmly in the England plans, Henderson could be an attractive proposition for many clubs based purely on football terms, but the financial obstacles to bringing him back to Europe could be significant. It remains to be seen if genuine interest emerges but a loan move could be a possibility. A return to Anfield would seem unlikely with Liverpool’s midfield having been rebuilt since his departure.

Ivan Toney

The England striker is set to return to action this month as his eight-month ban for multiple breaches of betting regulations comes to an end. Given their poor form of late, Brentford will undoubtedly welcome the striker back with open arms and he has said he is keen to repay the club for their support during his suspension. However, his value remains high and with the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea both looking for goalscorers, potentially head-turning approaches are more than possible.

Gary O’Neil had no complaints with Joao Gomes’ red card at Brentford but he felt the Bees should have had two players sent off.

A rocket from Tommy Doyle kept Wolves in the FA Cup despite playing with 10 men for 81 minutes at Brentford.

They were trailing to Neal Maupay’s first-half goal when Doyle struck from 20 yards to secure a 1-1 draw.

In a niggly encounter, Gomes was given his marching orders for chopping down Bees captain Christian Norgaard.

But O’Neil pointed to a similar challenge from Mikkel Damsgaard on Doyle which went unpunished.

The Wolves boss also felt Keane Lewis-Potter should have been sent off for grabbing Nelson Semedo in a stoppage-time melee.

“Obviously I know Joao very well. It would look bad slowed down, it’s a nasty place to be kicked with the studs and I hope Norgaard is OK,” said O’Neil.

“But I know Joao has not meant for it to land like that. He’s a bit late. I’ve got no real complaints, it could have been a yellow, it could have been a red.

“But the tackle on Tommy Doyle was equally as bad, a straight leg on Tommy. And Lewis-Potter grabbing Semedo’s throat should have been a red card.

“I can’t believe VAR thought it wasn’t. Now we’ll miss one of our best midfielders for three games and one of our rivals get to keep two of theirs.”

Nevertheless, O’Neil hailed his players for battling back to secure a replay.

“I’m really pleased with performance of the players,” he added. “We played 90-odd minutes with 10 men, with the stoppage time at the end of each half.

“Away from home, going 1-0 down, it would have been easy for the players to let this one go. There was none of that. Everyone gave absolutely everything.”

Bees boss Thomas Frank felt his side had let a chance to progress at the first time of asking slip through their grasp.

“We can only blame ourselves today, there was a lack of quality all over the pitch,” he said.

“Sometimes you can’t always hit a top performance. Sometimes it’s not easy to play 11 against 10. It’s not a miracle by Wolves, although credit to them. But especially after being 1-0 we really should win the game.”

Frank had said before the match that he does not believe there should be replays in the FA Cup.

He added: “This is the worst outcome, in every aspect. I don’t understand why we have a replay.

“I simply don’t understand why no one in the football world has changed this. They need to take some more clever decisions.”

A rocket from Tommy Doyle kept Wolves in the FA Cup despite playing with 10 men for 81 minutes at Brentford.

Wanderers lost Joao Gomes to an early red card and were trailing to Neal Maupay’s first-half goal when Doyle struck from 20 yards to secure a 1-1 draw and a replay.

In a niggly encounter, Gomes was given his marching orders for chopping down Bees captain Christian Norgaard.

But Wolves could easily point to a similar challenge from Mikkel Damsgaard on Doyle which went unpunished.

Brentford were looking for a measure of revenge for the 4-1 defeat they were dealt by the same opposition in the Premier League nine days earlier.

They suffered a collective defensive meltdown in that loss and the nerves were hardly settled when goalkeeper David Strakosha, making only his third appearance of the season, passed the ball straight to Wolves forward Matheus Cunha.

The Brazilian managed to round Strakosha but ran into defender Mathias Jorgensen, who cleared the ball over his own crossbar.

Moments later Wolves found themselves a player light after Gomes caught Norgaard on the heel with his studs and was shown a straight red card by referee Tony Harrington.

It was a further injury blow for already-depleted Brentford with Denmark midfielder Norgaard unable to continue.

Former Wolves defender Nathan Collins, who was directly culpable for two of his old side’s goals in last week’s horror show, almost made amends at the right end of the pitch with a shot which curled narrowly over.

Then Bees midfielder Josh Dasilva, making his first appearance since suffering a hamstring injury in August, tested Wanderers keeper Jose Sa with a low, skidding drive before the hosts went ahead five minutes before half-time.

After Wolves failed to clear a Mathias Jensen free-kick, the ball ricocheted to the feet of Maupay who rifled it home from eight yards for his third goal of the season.

After the break Damsgaard’s shot was well blocked by Sa and Dasilva hit the side-netting before, almost out of nowhere, Wolves equalised.

A short corner was worked by Pedro Neto to Doyle on the edge of the area, with the England Under-21 midfielder taking a touch before lashing the ball left-footed into the top corner.

It was Doyle’s first goal for Wolves and he had a taste for more, only this time he cracked another drive straight into the face of Jensen, who had to go off after a concussion check.

Brentford could have won it late on but substitute Myles Peart-Harris side-footed wide and Sa saved Keane Lewis-Potter’s header from point-blank range.

A melee at the end of the match suggested these two teams are pretty sick of the sight of each other, which could at least make for a spicy replay in just over a week.

Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson branded speculation he could be replaced by ex-Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper as “disrespectful” after his side snapped an eight-match winless streak with a 3-1 home victory over Brentford.

Influential duo Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise, who have both sat out lengthy spells in the first half of the season, started alongside each other for just the third time this term and were responsible for all three of the Eagles’ goals, with Olise bagging his first Premier League brace.

The hosts entered the contest just three points above the relegation zone, leaving some suggesting a loss to the only side in worse form than Hodgson’s own could spell the end of his second spell in south London.

Asked about the Cooper rumours, Hodgson said: “I’m 76 years of age. I’ve been working 47 years, I’ve got a CBE for my services and I’ve got a CV which is incredible, so my final answer to you is that makes no difference or has any interest to me at all, and to suggest that it should is disrespectful.”

Saturday’s victory marked just the second occasion Palace have won at home this season, and the first time this campaign both Olise and Eze have scored in the same contest.

Hodgson has been quick to defend his squad amid an injury crisis, pointing out in the programme that he and right-hand man Ray Lewington have never coached a fully-fit squad through 20 games this season.

Olise enjoyed an outstanding afternoon, cancelling out Keane Lewis-Potter’s second-minute opener before Eze fired the hosts ahead before the break and Olise added a second in the 58th minute.

There was potentially worrying news for Hodgson, however, after Olise appeared to pull up in the closing stages.

He said: “I spoke to him and he didn’t seem overly concerned. I spoke to the doc and he wasn’t sort of shaking his head suggesting he needs a scan tomorrow, we will have to fear the worst, he wasn’t doing that.

“But of course we won’t know until he gets back into training and we assess him and look at it, but it would be really, really unlucky and I don’t think it was a major snapping or muscle.”

Michael Olise scored in each half as Crystal Palace ended their eight-game winless streak with a 3-1 comeback victory over Brentford at a soggy Selhurst Park.

Under-pressure Roy Hodgson’s hosts bounced back from a sorry start to an afternoon that began with Keane Lewis-Potter’s opener for the Bees inside two minutes.

Olise ensured it was all square before the 15-minute mark and Eberechi Eze added another before the break – the first time Palace have scored more than one before half-time this season.

Neal Maupay came closest to clawing one back for the visitors, rattling the crossbar as the Bees staged a late surge, but Brentford could not stop themselves from slipping to a club-record fifth straight Premier League defeat.

In his programme notes, Hodgson expressed his “disappointment and frustration” at the fact he has “never had the opportunity” to work with a full squad this season.

The Eagles edged ever-closer to full strength on Saturday, with forward Odsonne Edouard returning to the matchday squad and influential duo Olise and Eze starting alongside each other for just the third time this campaign.

Palace had already conceded more top-flight opening goals in 2023 – 25 – than any other Premier League side, and they were swift victims once more in their final encounter of the calendar year.

Mathias Jensen flicked a neat back-heel to Mads Roerslev, who whipped a cross into the six-yard box for Lewis-Potter to finish, with the goal eventually given after a lengthy delay to check a possible offside.

The sides were all square after 14 minutes when Olise arrived at the far post to meet Jordan Ayew’s cross and volleyed into the top right corner.

Jefferson Lerma tried quickly to put the hosts ahead but fired straight at Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken.

Dean Henderson bobbled but clung on to deny Lewis-Potter’s close-range effort at the other end as the Bees continued to apply pressure.

Olise got himself involved at the other end of the pitch, clearing a dangerous Lewis-Potter cross, before Nathan Collins bounced a header inches wide of Henderson’s right post.

Palace took the lead in the 39th minute, just as the half looked to have settled into a lull. Tyrick Mitchell took his time before flicking to Jean-Philippe Mateta, who in turn tapped it towards the onrushing Eze to send a strike into the bottom right corner.

Brentford swerved danger when Flekken slid in to prevent Ethan Pinnock’s backwards pass from crossing over his goal-line before half-time.

There were chances for both sides early in the second half before Olise patiently weaved through a crowd of blue shirts and fired home the Eagles’ third in the 58th minute.

Henderson punched away Saman Ghoddos’ effort to deny Brentford a quick reply, and Olise came close to a hat-trick when he sent the ball just wide of Flekken’s left post.

Brentford missed two big chances to narrow the deficit in quick succession, substitute Maupay clipping the crossbar before Yoane Wissa missed the target from six yards out.

A brilliant late save by Henderson preserved the two-goal lead before the final whistle blew on what was just the Eagles’ second home victory of the season.

Wolves boss Gary O’Neil hopes Hwang Hee-chan will be fit to face Everton on Saturday despite going off injured at Brentford.

Hwang hit two first-half goals in the 4-1 win in west London but limped off before half-time with a back problem.

The 27-year-old has scored 10 Premier League goals this season, although Wolves will miss him for up to four matches when he jets off with South Korea for the Asia Cup next month.

“It’s just a back spasm, he’ll be fine for the Asia Cup. Hopefully we can get him back for our game against Everton as well,” said O’Neil.

“We’ll see. It’s a tight turnaround but it was only a back spasm and he’s moving a bit better than he was when he came off. Let’s see how he does over the next couple of days.

“It’s 10 goals for him now, so an unbelievable return. But I do have big faith in everybody, whether we have to play someone else or whether we have to use some of the under-23s or under-21s who are already on the bench then no problem.”

Mario Lemina and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde were also on target at the Gtech Stadium as Brentford imploded defensively.

Yoane Wissa pulled one back but the return of Ivan Toney following his suspension for breaking betting rules, likely to be at home to Nottingham Forest on January 20, cannot come soon enough with the Bees hovering just four points above the relegation zone.

“I think either if we were number one in the league, bottom or mid-table, we would look forward to getting Ivan back,” said boss Thomas Frank.

“It’s getting closer. We had an in-house game the other day and he scored two goals. I looked at him and he looked pretty good. It will be just like a new signing.”