Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa will both look to return to winning ways when they square up against each other at the Molineux Stadium.
14th-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers are all set to host Aston Villa as we head into the final phase of the ongoing season. Wolves are seven points clear of the drop zone and will look to further strengthen their position. Meanwhile, the visitors are 8th in the league and will look to end the season on a high with a few positive results in the remaining matches.
Wolves suffered a humiliating defeat against Brighton, conceding six goals in a competitive game for the first time in 11 years. Despite the setback, Wolves have been performing well at home and have secured recent victories against Brentford and Crystal Palace.
They will need to bounce back quickly as their Premier League safety is not yet assured, and upcoming fixtures against Manchester United and Arsenal remain a concern. A win against their local rivals Aston Villa, who they have beaten in their last four encounters, would go a long way towards securing their top-flight status.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa suffered a rare defeat in their last game against Manchester United, ending their 10-game unbeaten run. Despite the loss, the team have made significant progress under the leadership of Unai Emery, with players like Ollie Watkins and Jacob Ramsey performing well.
The team remains in contention for a Europa Conference League spot and will be motivated to win against local rivals Wolves. The team have a solid recent record against Wolves, having drawn with them earlier this season and beaten them in their last meeting at Molineux.
The reverse fixture between the two teams ended in a 1-1 draw. And, something similar is expected this time around as well. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at this fixture and tries to predict the tactics they could use.
Team News & Tactics
Wolverhampton Wanderers
The home team will be without the services of Chinquinho and Sasa Kalajdzic. Meanwhile, full-back Nelson Semedo is still a doubt for this fixture after picking up a knee problem against Brighton.
Julen on #WOLAVL 💬
— Wolves (@Wolves) May 5, 2023
Boubacar Traore is also closing in on a return. However, it is still unclear whether he will be available for this outing or not.
The home team will go ahead with the 4-4-2 formation where Jose Sa will be in goal. Nelson Semedo could slot in at right-back if he gets fit in time. Hugo Bueno should feature as a left-back. Meanwhile, Max Kilman and Craig Dawson should be the centre-back pairing.
Ruben Neves will pair up with Mario Lemina in the centre of the park. Hwang Hee-chan and Pablo Sarabia will star out wide as the wingers for this fixture.
Meanwhile, Matheus Cunha and Diego Costa will be the two attackers up top.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Sa; Semedo, Dawson, Kilman, Bueno; Hwang, Neves, Lemina, Sarabia; Cunha, Costa
Aston Villa
The visitors will be without the services of Boubacar Kamara, Leon Bailey, Matty Cash and Philippe Coutinho who have all returned to training. But, they are unlikely to feature in this fixture.
Tomorrow: #WOLAVL. 💪
Unai Emery joined the media this afternoon ahead of our trip to Molineux.
Updates to follow. 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/7qiRYABxux
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) May 5, 2023
Unai Emery is expected to go ahead with the 4-2-3-1 formation where Emiliano Martinez will be in goal. Ashley Young and Alex Moreno should start out wide as the two full-backs. And, Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings will pair up in the heart of the defence.
Leander Dendoncker and Douglas Luiz will form the double pivot in the centre of the park. The duo will look to help out their defence and dictate the pace of the game.
John McGinn and Jacob Ramsey will start out wide as the wingers. They will look to provide the width as well as cut inside when needed. Meanwhile, Emiliano Buendia will start as the attacking midfielder behind star striker Ollie Watkins.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Young, Konsa, Mings, Moreno; Dendoncker, Luiz; McGinn, Buendia, Ramsey; Watkins
Key Stats
- Out of the 19 times that Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa have played against each other, Wolves have won seven, lost five and drawn seven games.
- Matheus Cunha has just two goals in his 10 league games for Wolverhampton Wanderers.
- Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins has 20 goal contributions in the 32 league games he has started this season.
- Emiliano Buendia, Aston Villa’s attacking midfielder has played 25 league games for Aston Villa this season and has been involved in seven goals for the team.
- Douglas Luiz has played 29 league games for the visitors this season and has contributed to nine goals for the club.
Player to Watch
Ollie Watkins
Ollie Watkins is one of Aston Villa’s key players and has been in impressive form this season. He has scored 14 goals and provided six assists in 33 appearances, making him one of the most productive players in the Villa squad.
His ability to both score and create goals makes him a potent threat in attack, and his contributions will be crucial for Villa’s chances of success in this fixture. The England international is likely to cause problems for the Wolves defence and will be a player to watch in this fixture.
Prediction
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-2 Aston Villa
The upcoming match between Wolves and Aston Villa is expected to be a closely contested affair. Wolves will be looking to bounce back from their humiliating defeat against Brighton and secure their Premier League safety, while Aston Villa will be motivated to continue their push for a European spot.
Based on recent form and their home advantage, Wolves may have a slight edge over Aston Villa. However, Villa’s recent performances have been impressive, and they will be a tough team to beat.
The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for visitors.
