Aston Villa

Today might have marked the coronation of a new monarch, but there was only one king being toasted at full time.

Julen Lopetegui has completed his rescue act with three games to spare, and thoughts can now turn to next season.

Given the impact the Spaniard has had during his short time it’s intriguing to ponder where he could take us after a full pre-season and another transfer window.

And while memories of last week’s mauling at Brighton (or the many other miserable afternoons we’ve been made to endure this season) shouldn’t be erased entirely, now is a time to praise the stellar job our management team have done.

That’s eight clean sheets in the book since Jeff Shi whisked King Julen into Wolverhampton in his Lamborghini, and a ninth league win to boot.

Of those successes, there can be no doubt that the last four have been crucial. To put Chelsea, Brentford, Palace and Villa to the sword without conceding a single goal is no mean feat.

Today’s result was probably a tad harsh on a Villa side that certainly played the better football, though their persistent gamesmanship makes it easy to withhold sympathy.

Every player in gold and black put in the shift that’s necessary to see tight games out, with Lemina and the matchwinner Toti particularly imperious.

It was disappointing that we couldn’t create more in the final third, but a front three of Costa, Cunha, and a re-energised Neto at least offered energy.

One final shoutout ought to go to Jose Sa, who recovered from a miserable time last weekend to help ensure we took the points. That first-half save was crucial.

But the crown belongs to our knight in shining armour.

Arise, King Julen.

I don’t know what I’m less excited about.

The coronation or a vibrant looking Aston Villa side swaggering into Molineux hot on the heels of our six nil whooping.

At least we don’t have to go into work on Monday I suppose.

On a more serious note our home form has been good under Julen Lopetegui and I expect a response. Fingers crossed we get it.

Aston Villa

Well done to the Villa. I thought they’d spend the remaining weeks of the season marooned in 10th but they’ve been on an excellent run.

Defeat at Old Trafford last weekend took some of the wind out of their sails and with fixtures against Brighton, Liverpool and Spurs to close out the season, it’ll be tough to maintain that push for Europe.

The other side of that argument is they can take points off the teams around them so a 6th/7th place finish remains possible. I don’t think they’ll quite do enough.

I watched their game against Newcastle a few weeks ago and thought it was one of the most impressive performances I’ve seen from any team. They looked well balanced and carried a serious threat going forward. There’s plenty to feel good about heading into next season.

Ollie Watkins has become a goal machine in 2023 and is establishing himself as one of the best forwards in the Premier League. Nullifying him will be important tomorrow.

We did well for long periods in the game at Villa Park and should have been two up before they came back into it. By the end we were a tad fortunate to hang on for a point.

Wolves

We could just revert to the side that played well and got the wins against Chelsea and Brentford.

I maintain the shape and balance of that side was the best we’ve seen this season so I’m not sure why Lopetegui so willingly dismantled it.

There was a certain logic to playing four midfielders at Brighton to try and block the passing channels but it clearly didn’t work.

I thought Neto did alright running around up front but in terms of operating as one cohesive unit it was a total disaster.

Predictions

Yes, I did check and nobody predicted 6-0 last weekend.

Rich still holds a 4 point lead at the top of the overall table at the end of Gameweek 34.

As always, if you’d like to join in with the Prediction League this season, it’s simple – just leave your prediction in the comment section below using the boxes provided. Then repeat for every preview article throughout the season, making sure you always use the same email address to make your prediction. Your email is what ties you to your overall score.

You can read my prediction for the game in the comment section below.

There can be no denying that Danny Ings’ equaliser was a bitter pill to swallow.

And, given the gilt-edged chance Leon Bailey squandered at the death, it could be argued that the home contingent should be more disappointed with their side missing out on three points.

That aside, I think this evening can be considered a positive one.

The old failings are surely there, but Wolves seem to steadily be finding their mojo under Lopetegui.

This was evidenced by a first half showing which saw us completely dominate an in-form Villa.

Moutinho, Neves and especially Nunes controlled proceedings in the middle of the park, and we played with a swagger not seen in some time.

Podence took his goal superbly, his second since the new managerial regime was ushered in. He deserves a lot of credit for his recent showings, and we were certainly much poorer after his enforced half-time withdrawal.

You always sensed that a second goal was needed though, and we ultimately didn’t do enough with the possession we had during the first 45.

Villa were much improved after the break, with the introduction of Coutinho proving to be a shrewd move by Unai Emery.

The pressure was mounting well before their goal, so it was no surprise to see Ings notch them back onto level terms.

It was a well-taken strike from the former Southampton man but, from our perspective, it was a porous one to give away. You simply cannot afford to get done by a routine long ball the way that we did, not at this level anyway.

Collins and Kilman have been much improved as of late, but I definitely think they need an older head to push them for their place in the eleven. Here’s hoping our reshaped recruitment team can pull a rabbit out of their collective hat on that front. 

That aside, we did well to ride out Villa’s pressure and could have nicked the points ourselves thanks to a slaloming late run from Ait-Nouri.

Matheus Cunha didn’t really get much chance to show us what he can do, but his arrival definitely gives us reasons to be cautiously optimistic. And it’s great to see Nunes finally starting to justify his hefty price tag – this was definitely his most accomplished performance in old gold.

I still think we need two or three more players to be confident that we can steer away from a relegation dogfight in good time, but this was another encouraging performance that suggests Lopetegui’s methods are already taking effect.

Onwards and upwards? Let’s hope so.

10 days that could shape our season.

Can we give Liverpool a run for their money in the FA Cup? Will we overcome Forest to make it to the semi-finals of the League Cup for the first time since I don’t know when? Do we dare do anything but win the relegation six-pointer against West Ham?

Before all that though, there’s the small matter of the local derby that isn’t a local derby.

Or should we call it the Spanish Inquisition?

El Classico?

No? Fair enough.

Villa

Three wins in four league matches is a brilliant start for Unai Emery. Even in the game they lost to Liverpool, they squandered a lot of good opportunities.

Beating Spurs at the weekend was a statement result and they’ll rightly come into this game as strong favourites.

An advantage they hold over Wolves is multiple players that get forward, create opportunities and score goals. Ings, Watkins, Bailey, Luiz and Buendia all carry a threat and it’s no surprise they’ve scored nine goals more than us.

Worryingly, they’ve looked tighter defensively too since Emery came on board, particularly against Spurs who struggled to create anything.

A top 8 finish is probably a realistic ambition for this season and they’ll hope to go well in the FA Cup, starting with a favourable home tie against Stevenage at the weekend.

Wolves

Matheus Cunha is eligible to play so does Lopetegui throw the Brazilian straight into the action?

He can play out wide or through the middle so that increases his chances of making an immediate jump to the starting XI.

I think Diego Costa has given the attack much-needed physical presence despite his form in front of goal being dire to non-existent.

And whatever your criticism of his efforts might be, Wolves still aren’t creating chances in open play so the whole team need to improve their output if we’re to consistently pick up results.

I’d like to see Boubacar in the midfield to give us more bite and energy. I think we’re too static with Neves and Moutinho, which goes a long way to explaining why we don’t score many goals playing in this system.

Predictions

Well done to Ben Rasmin, who was the only person to correctly predict the scoreline in the defeat to Man Utd on Saturday.

Rich remains a point clear at the top of the overall table at the end of Gameweek 17.

As always, if you’d like to join in with the Prediction League this season, it’s simple – just leave your prediction in the comment section below using the boxes provided. Then repeat for every preview article throughout the season, making sure you always use the same email address to make your prediction. Your email is what ties you to your overall score.

You can read my prediction for the game in the comment section below.

Up The Wolves!

After what we endured against Leeds, the universe knew it owed us one.

How else do you make sense of two Villa players slipping in the build up to the first goal and Ashley Young despatching the second like a seasoned number 9?

Well, actually, there are two less cosmic explanations.

We were good and they were bad. Unbelievably bad. So bad I could barely believe what I was seeing.

Jose Sa had to keep out Leon Bailey’s excellent effort but that one long ranger aside, they offered next to nothing as an attacking force in the first half.

And whenever Wolves came forward or got a break of the ball they were in on goal with frightening ease.

Bruno said before the game their midfield diamond would offer a unique challenge but his side got around it with minimal fuss and the contest should have been over before the half time oranges were handed out.

Fabio, Trincao and Dendoncker all squandered clear sighters to turn up the comfort levels and by the finish we nearly rued those misses.

But those same three players were all otherwise excellent, coming into the starting XI and bringing a tenacity and energy that Villa struggled to contain.

Boly turned back the clock with a colossal performance to remind us of his value and Jonny continues to make light of two years on the sidelines with a near flawless display in and out of possession.

I could go through the whole team and dish out the plaudits because it was just one of those pleasing afternoons where the pieces clicked together.

It was a scramble at the death after that dubious penalty concession and the referee certainly got through his share of work in a derby that felt surprisingly flat for long periods, but Wolves were worthy winners.

All the chants eminating from the South Bank were predictably about gaps widening below but the shrinking margins to the European places continue to keep this surprisingly good season interesting.

I’m dreading this game.

Ruben injured, Raul suspended and Villa motivated by that late smash and grab job we did on them earlier in the season to hijack the points.

Regardless of the outcome, we really shouldn’t finish lower than eighth this season, given the points deficit and some of the presentable fixtures remaining but going higher seems fanciful.

Losing to Leeds in the manner we did was a hammer blow and the fallout has left us depleted and vulnerable.

Wolves have conjured results after big setbacks before this season but taking everything into account, this would be the biggest.

Villa

All the components should be in place for Villa to challenge for Europe but despite a lot of star talent, there’s a soft underbelly that holds them back.

There’s no shame in narrowly losing to West Ham and Arsenal (we know that well enough) but coming in off three morale-boosting victories I would have backed them to get a result in at least one of those games.

They also got turned over by Newcastle and Watford recently, which shouldn’t happen if you’re serious about disrupting the elite.

I hear a lot of Villa supporters talking about the need for a holding midfielder and given the seemingly relentless ambition of the owners and their ability to invest you’d imagine another big name will arrive in the summer.

Philippe Coutinho was an inspired January addition but youngster Jacob Ramsey has been equally impressive at times. I watched him for the England U21s the other night and thought he was excellent.

I think I’m correct in saying Tyrone Mings is suspended for this game. The big defender gets mixed reviews, but he’s an important presence for them and I think his absence increases our chances of a favourable result.

It’s 6 wins and 9 defeats from their 15 away matches to date making them the only team in the Premier League not to draw a single game on their travels, underlining their up and down credentials.

The away end

Some comments lifted from the pre-match thread on a popular Villa forum.

The one player from Wolves who 100% gets in our team is Neves and he ain’t playing on Saturday. Jimenez is not the player he was pre-injury but is still the best striker on their books, and he’s also not playing. Neto would have got in our team 12 months ago but he’s missed nearly 12 months of football since then, he’s only started one game since coming back (Palace home which they lost 2-0) and didn’t make the bench last 2 games so clearly got injured again. He won’t be anywhere near fully fit and doubtful he’ll start. They have a strong defence playing 5 at the back and are certainly greater than the sum of their parts but if we can’t take at least a point from this game, if not all 3, then it will once again be a game where this team have let themselves down. Wolves have trouble scoring and if we can breach their defence even just once we should be at least taking a draw. I feel we need all 3 though as Spurs, Liverpool and Leicester after this and we need a confidence-boosting win really. Gerrard was always great in derbies, he needs to ensure the team he manages are because we need to be well up for this right from the start. 

Need a good mentality out the gate. Players need to view this as a derby match and show some passion and grit for the full 90 minutes. They have been stumbing lately and have more to play for. Will be a very tough game. I’m happy with a hard fought draw.

Well we are better than the likes of Brighton and Southampton but not as good as West ham and arsenal….wonder where we lie in comparison to these!

Wolves have lost about 7 at home now including to likes of Palace and Leeds in last few weeks. Burnley also got a 0-0 there in December so defend well and we should get at least a draw imo. Think like us they’ve won more away than at home. If we’re as lax as v Arsenal then probably another 1-0 defeat as they’re a very hard team to get points off if they go ahead in the game (apart from v Leeds but that was just a freak defensive display in last half hour).

Wolves

What would I do? I think you’ve got to pack the midfield because an open game suits Villa more than us and you’d back their attackers to do the damage.

That means Moutinho, Dendoncker and Cundle all starting, in the sort of shape we saw at Tottenham.

The other problem is the front two. I think Fabio has to start because we’ve never looked good without a centre forward and if this isn’t an opportunity for him, when will it be?

Another way to go would be a more conventional front three and maybe having Hwang/Podence in the side at the expense of Cundle. But then you’re probably playing a game that suits Villa a bit more. No doubt this is a tough one for Bruno with the paucity of options we have up top and in midfield.

Last time out

I hardly need to remind anyone about the miracle at Villa Park. Unlike the turnaround Leeds managed against us, there was no obvious catalyst and it just didn’t seem possible to claw that game back but somehow we did it with Ruben’s deflected free-kick sealing the glory.

We lost at home last season with Nelson Semedo bundling over John McGinn to give them a penalty with the last kick of the game. That was a frustrating encounter and summed up our poor season. It was a drab stalemate later in the season in the return fixture.

Predictions

Nobody got the 2-3 scoreline against Leeds and it was generally slim pickings in the Prediction League last time out.

Brompton Wolf remains clear at the top of the overall table at the end of Gameweek 30.

As always, if you’d like to join in, it’s simple – just leave your prediction in the comment section below using the boxes provided. Then repeat for every preview article throughout the season, making sure you always use the same email address to make your prediction. Your email is what ties you to your overall score.

You can read my prediction for the game in the comment section below.

Up The Wolves!

Polite request – when commenting in the preview article after the game has finished, can you not place score predictions in the boxes, please? It confuses the system. Many thanks.