Brentford's hopes of securing European football next season ended as they drew 1-1 at Wolverhampton Wanderers on the final day.
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The spoils were shared at Molineux after Marshall Munetsi's thumping strike cancelled out Bryan Mbeumo's first-half effort.
Thomas Frank's side needed to win to stand any chance of snatching eighth place away from Brighton & Hove Albion, who beat UEFA Europa League winners Tottenham Hotspur 4-1.
The Bees punished a defensive error by Wolves to take the lead after 20 minutes through Mbeumo's 20th Premier League goal of the season.
However, Muneti's superb equaliser in the 75th minute secured a point for Wolves, who ended a run of three straight defeats.
Brentford slipped to 10th place after AFC Bournemouth leapfrogged them with their win over Leicester City, while Vitor Pereira's side drop a couple of places to finish the season in 16th.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 |
Brighton
BHA
|
38 | +7 | 61 |
| 9 |
Bournemouth
BOU
|
38 | +12 | 56 |
How the match unfolded
Brentford pounced on Wolves' defensive sloppiness to open the scoring in the 20th minute.
Rayan Ait-Nouri was dispossessed by Yoane Wissa, whose shot ricocheted to Christian Norgaard, with the skipper teeing up Mbeumo to sweep home.
The visitors went close to doubling their advantage with Keane Lewis-Potter scooping just over from Wissa's lay-off, while the latter was also denied by Jose Sa.
At the other end, Matheus Cunha volleyed straight at Mark Flekken, who then had to turn Nelson Semedo's volley around the post before the break.
Wolves continued to threaten to equalise after the break. Ait-Nouri stung Flekken’s palms from a tight angle, while Goncalo Guedes scuffed wide from close range.
Nevertheless, the hosts got themselves back on level terms with a quarter of an hour remaining. Wolves substitute Jorgen Strand Larsen flicked a long ball into the path of Munetsi, who rifled a volley into the top corner to snatch a point.
Wolves snap losing streak
Though there were no permutations for Wolves to concern themselves with, they still had plenty of pride to play for.
After their record-breaking six-match winning streak dragged them away from danger, Pereira's side did not want to conclude the season with a fourth successive defeat.
Wolves sounded an early warning with Cunha heading straight at Flekken, but did not heed Brentford's warning and they fell behind through their own lapse in concentration at the back.
The hosts responded well to falling behind, though, and looked the side more likely to score from then on.
Strand Larsen’s introduction in the 65th minute made a difference, with the Norwegian using his height to win a long aerial ball and cushion it into Munetsi, whose magnificent first-time strike was worthy of winning any game, let alone earning a point.
Pereira will be pleased to see his side halt their losing run on the final day, giving them something to build on when he turns his attention towards preparing for his first full season in charge of Wolves.
Bees miss out on Europe
Brentford's hopes of securing European football were still alive heading into the final day, albeit they required favours from elsewhere.
The Bees needed to win here to stand any chance of leapfrogging Brighton, who were away at Spurs, while also hoping Chelsea slipped to seventh place by losing at Nottingham Forest, before winning the UEFA Conference League on Wednesday.
Last weekend's defeat at Fulham, which ended a four-match winning streak, had dented Brentford's ambition, but they were boosted by punishing Wolves' sloppy possession just outside the area to go in front.
But the mood among the travelling supporters changed when news filtered through of Chelsea taking the lead at the City Ground. Brighton also overturned an early deficit to soar past Spurs in north London, but it was all academic anyway by the time Munetsi thrashed in the equaliser.
European football eluded Brentford for another season, but Frank and his players can take some consolation from recording the club’s second top-half finish in four years.
Match reports
Brentford report | Wolves report
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Key facts
Wolves have now won just one of their 11 final-day Premier League fixtures, a rate of nine per cent - among sides to have played in at least three seasons, only three others have a rate below 10 per cent (West Bromwich Albion, Sunderland and Hull City).
Mbeumo’s opener was his 20th goal in the Premier League this season, making him the second Brentford player to reach that tally in a single campaign (also Ivan Toney in 2022/23) and the first Cameroonian ever to do so.
His goal also means that this is just the second Premier League season in which at least two African players (Mbeumo and Mohamed Salah) have scored 20+ goals, after the 2018/19 campaign (Salah, Sadio Mane and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang).
