Wolves vs Aston Villa Preview: Villa Look to Overcome Poor Form at Molineux

Wolves welcome Aston Villa to Molineux on Friday night in a clash between opposite halves of the Premier League table. A clear contrast in performances this season sees Wolves aiming to gain momentum and climb away from the bottom, while European contenders Aston Villa seek to regain earlier form and maintain their top-four position.

The West Midlands derby promises to be a tale of underdogs versus ambition, with both managers facing very different pressures and expectations.

Villa once looked involved in a title race, but that momentum has dipped. Recent form has yielded just seven points from their last five matches, alongside a disappointing FA Cup exit at the hands of Newcastle. Unai Emery’s side will be desperate not to drop further points especially against a team seemingly destined for Championship football next season.

In their recent 1-1 draw against Leeds United, Villa lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation due to midfield injuries. Despite the disappointing result, there were positives. Villa dominated possession with 74% of the ball and registered 13 shots, though only four were on target.

Morgan Rogers remains their primary attacking threat. The Englishman is Villa’s joint top scorer this season with eight goals and ranks 11th in the Premier League for total goal involvements. After five touches in the opposition penalty area last week, he will be eager to end his goal drought.

With just 10 points from 28 Premier League matches, Wolves’ fate appears sealed. However, recent results have sparked a glimmer of belief.

Wolves would realistically need to win their remaining ten fixtures to stand a chance of survival a monumental task. Molineux has not been a fortress this season, with just one win in their last 14 home matches. Yet there remains potential for an upset, as shown in their dramatic comeback against league leaders Arsenal.

Trailing 2-0, Wolves produced remarkable resilience to secure a 90+4 minute equaliser the first time in Premier League history a top-of-the-table side has surrendered a two-goal lead to a bottom-placed club.

Momentum like that can be powerful.

While Molineux has been challenging for Wolves, it has also troubled Aston Villa. Villa’s last away win at Wolves came six years ago, secured via a last-minute penalty. Last season saw Wolves claim a 2-0 victory in this fixture.

In the reverse fixture this season, Villa edged a gritty 1-0 win thanks to a long-range strike from Boubacar Kamara.

Both teams have struggled to control games early. Thirteen of Wolves’ 28 league matches (46%) have been level at half-time. Villa’s numbers are similar, with 12 half-time draws in 27 matches and only two halftime leads in 13 away fixtures.

Set-pieces could be decisive. Villa have won 36 corners in their last five matches over three times Wolves’ recent tally highlighting territorial dominance.

Team News

Aston Villa:

• Midfield absentees include Youri Tielemans, John McGinn and Harvey Elliott.

• Boubacar Kamara is also sidelined.

• Villa are likely to persist with a 4-2-3-1, potentially featuring Douglas Luiz and André Onana in midfield.

Wolves:

• Joint top scorer Hwang Hee-chan remains unavailable.

• Tolu Arokodare is expected to lead the line.

• Ladislav Krejci is suspended after his red card against Crystal Palace.

Among Wolves’ recent bright sparks, Santiago Bueno and Hugo Bueno have impressed, with Hugo notably scoring a stunning goal against Arsenal.

Prediction

Both sides are seeking redemption after underwhelming results last week. Wolves will likely aim to frustrate and disrupt, as they did against Arsenal, while Villa will attempt to assert control through possession.

Given the derby tension and both teams’ half-time trends, they may cancel each other out early.

Prediction: Wolves 1-1 Aston Villa