A confident Wolves will take on an insurgent Aston Villa side, with both teams looking to climb up the Premier League standings.
Wolves manager Gary O’Neil has every reason to stay positive about getting a result in the next game, which is another home clash with Aston Villa coming to town. The Black Country outfit are coming to the West Midlands derby at the back of a stunning victory over Manchester City to halt the champions’ perfect start to the season.
Not only did that victory give the Wolves players some much-needed confidence, but it also opened up the league and, specifically, the title race. Social media also had a field day following Pep Guardiola’s ‘The Korean Guy’ comment before the game as Hwang Hee-chan got the inevitable winner in that clash.
Hee. Chan. Hwang.
— Wolves (@Wolves) September 30, 2023
While the victory allowed the Wolves to steer clear of the relegation zone a bit, now O’Neil has a big task to maintain momentum in the next few games. Aston Villa are not an opponent one can take lightly, but the Wolves boss will once again keep faith in his charges to get a result and possibly start a decent run to consolidate their place in the mid-table.
Aston Villa produced a stellar performance last weekend to consolidate their stunning home form in the Premier League. Not only did Unai Emery get his selections and tactics right, he also won a clear battle with Roberto De Zerbi by beating Brighton 6-1 at Villa Park.
Following up on that, Emery had a few questions to answer with regard to Villa’s European form. Bosnian side Zrinjski Mostar stood firm to the challenge at Villa Park on Thursday night. But a John McGinn winner at the death ensured the Midlands club got off the mark in the UEFA Europa Conference League.
While their result against Brighton took them to third, the matches after pushed them outside the top four into fifth. While their European commitments are taken seriously, Emery will have to ensure they stay on par with their ambitions in the Premier League, as the Basque boss will likely push on to finish in the top six this season.
Team News & Tactics
Wolves
Gary O’Neil has expressed concerns over the fitness of Santiago Bueno and Hugo Bueno, with the pair likely to miss the Aston Villa clash with hamstring and knee issues. Summer arrival Jean-Ricner Bellegarde will miss this clash as he serves his third and final game through suspension.
Prep in progress ⏳
— Wolves (@Wolves) October 6, 2023
On the selection bit, O’Neil has no reason to change the side that beat Manchester City last weekend. Hence, the manager is likely to retain the back three shape of his defence while fielding Joao Gomes and Mario Lemina in central midfield.
At the back, Toti Gomes has truly impressed alongside Max Kilman and Craig Dawson. The trio excelled in handling one of the meanest attacking sides in the league. The latter pair, in particular, were excellent in handling Erling Haaland & co. and hence, they will keep their places.
Similarly, the attacking front three has given no reasons to O’Neil to ponder changes. Hwang Hee-chan, Pedro Neto and Matheus Cunha all proved crucial in getting the two goals against Manchester City and will keep their places in the lineup.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Jose Sa; Kilman, Dawson, Toti Gomes; Semedo, Lemina, Joao Gomes, Ait Nouri; Neto, Cunha, Hwang
Aston Villa
Unai Emery has got some vital injury updates ahead of the visit to Molineux. Alex Moreno and Jacob Ramsey are ruled out of the encounter, with the latter suffering from a fresh ankle problem. The manager is more optimistic about Moussa Diaby and Boubacar Kamara, insisting the duo will continue working with the side without confirming their presence in the lineup for Sunday.
What a save this was! 👏
🇦🇷 @EmiMartinezz1 pic.twitter.com/GUtiHhNfyX
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) October 7, 2023
After changing his backline for the midweek encounter in the Conference league, Emery could revert to the central defensive partnership of Ezri Konsa and Pau Torres for Sunday. Matty Cash and Lucas Digne will continue in their full-back roles.
In midfield, Emery will count on Kamara to prove his fitness and field the Frenchman at the slightest chance of playing him. He will replace Leander Dendoncker, while Douglas Luiz is expected to come in for Youri Tielemans. The Belgian could still see his name on the team sheet if Kamara fails to start.
In the attack, there is no taking out Ollie Watkins in the form that he is in currently. John McGinn will also feature in that advanced midfield role, with Moussa Diaby and Nicolo Zaniolo completing the attacking setup behind the striker.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Kamara, Luiz; Diaby, McGinn, Zaniolo; Watkins
Key Stats
- Wolves have won five of their last six home matches against Aston Villa in all competitions.
- Wolves have scored across each of their last eight games in all competitions.
- Wolves have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last five games across all competitions.
- Aston Villa have won five of their last six matches in the Premier League.
- Aston Villa have failed to beat Wolves in their last five Premier League games since December 2020.
Player to Watch
Ollie Watkins
Our striker, signed and sealed. 😍
Congratulations, Ollie! 👏 pic.twitter.com/5lr6TZLCsG
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) October 6, 2023
After scoring his second Premier League hat-trick for Aston Villa last weekend, Watkins was rewarded with a new long-term deal, which ended speculation regarding his future. Both those reasons are enough for the striker to have a boost in confidence ahead of the weekend.
As he has already hit a rich vein of form for Villa, all eyes will stay on Watkins to produce the goods again as Villa take on Wolves. It is imperative for the striker to keep up his form, as he was also called up to the England squad by Gareth Southgate, which makes it all the more important to keep the levels of consistency.
Prediction
Wolves 1-1 Aston Villa
Considering Aston Villa have been in superior goalscoring form compared to Wolves, both teams still have an equal shot at winning the weekend’s game at Molineux. Hence, some may argue there’s no separating these two sides, but the pressure is more on Emery’s men to deliver the goods.
Wolves will come into this clash as the most confident side of them all. But Unai Emery has finally managed to settle down his Villa squad after some inconsistent results. However, the visitors still have a lot to prove away from home, which sees this game ending in an entertaining draw.
