LONDON, March 16 (Reuters) - Brentford striker Igor Thiago celebrated his maiden call-up by Brazil with a 19th Premier League goal of the season but had to settle for a home draw as bottom side Wolverhampton Wanderers rallied from two goals down to secure a 2-2 draw on Monday.
Brentford stay in seventh place with 45 points from their 30 games as they missed the chance to significantly close the gap on the Champions League qualification places above them. Wolves have 17 points from 31 games and are 12 points below the safety zone.
Michael Kayode gave Brentford the lead before Thiago, who was named in Carlo Ancelotti's Brazil squad on Monday, doubled their advantage in the first half, at which stage the home side were cruising to what looked a comfortable win.
Wolves’ improvement in recent weeks was evident again though as Adam Armstrong pulled a goal back just before halftime. Substitute Tolu Arokodare equalised on 78 minutes. The visitors also struck the woodwork twice.
"We can take positives from the second half. The first two goals for them were not good enough," Armstrong told Sky Sports.
"The message at halftime was just to keep going and get another goal.
"We know where we are in the league, it is not good enough. To get my first goal (for Wolves) was special but the three points would have been more important."
Brentford took the lead on 22 minutes as Kayode headed in Keane Lewis-Potter’s cross, before Dango Ouattara's brilliant first touch from goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher’s long ball set up Thiago for a tap-in.
It might have been 3-0 when the Brazilian saw his header come off the post, but Wolves got the next goal a minute before the break when Armstrong netted with a neat finish from the edge of the box.
Wolves started the second half the brighter and Armstrong should have made it 2-2 when his close-range shot came back off the post.
The visitors did get their equaliser as Arokodare, on the pitch as a substitute for only three minutes, headed in at the back post from Joao Gomes’ cross.
Arokodare then struck the crossbar as Wolves pushed for a winner, before Reiss Nelson missed an excellent late headed chance for Brentford.
(Reporting by Nick Said, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
