Brentford defender Nathan Collins suffered one of the most miserable matches of his career, making three horrendous mistakes that gifted his former club Wolves a record-breaking 4-1 win.
Collins, who joined Brentford from Wolves for a club-record £23m in the off-season, was facing his old club for the first time since that transfer.
It could not have gone much worse. Besides costing his side three goals, he also missed a sitter at the other end.
Brentford fell behind from a Mario Lemina header in the 13th minute. But on the restart, Collins played an atrociously under-hit back-pass to kepeer Mark Flekken, which was easily picked off by Wolves attacker Hwang Hee-Chan. Hwang rounded Flekken and rolled the ball into the empty net – doubling Wolves’ lead just 12 seconds after the restart.
Wolves reduced the deficit shortly afterwards, before Collins’ second mistake – though this one was arguably less his fault.
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In the 28th minute, Collins hit a long pass straight to Wolves’ defender Toti, who headed it back to Hwang in the Brentford penalty area – and catching Collins out of position. Hwang flicked the ball past defender Ethan Pinnock before calmly finishing to make it 3-1.
Collins then missed an unmarked header from inside the six-yard box late in the first half, spurning the chance to make amends for his earlier mistakes.
And late in the second half his humiliation was complete when Collins misplayed another pass deep in his own half, this time gifting the ball to Matheus Cunha, who fed substitute Jean-Ricner Bellegarde for a simple finish.
That made the final score 4-1 to Wolves, with three of those goals the direct result of intercepted Collins passes.
It was the first time that Wolves had ever scored four goals in an away Premier League win, condemning Brentford to a fourth straight defeat and a sixth in seven matches.
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Brentford boss Thomas Frank was asked what he said to the defender after the game, saying: “I told him it will never be worse than this, it is impossible – with a smile on my face and being ironic.
“He has been a positive player for us, when he got injured in the international break he was on a really good run of form and performed so well for us. It happens.
“Today, it will be tough. Tonight he will be down but one thing for sure: tomorrow it’s a fact that the sun will rise again. A new day and opportunity and I have no doubt he will walk in to the training ground head high.
“That’s what you do, you can’t sit in the corner and feel sorry for yourself. Otherwise you get lost.
“He’s not that kind of character. He will be fine. It will be tough, he will never forget it! But he will come through.”
