Wolves welcome Dean Smith's Aston Villa to Molineux today for the first Midlands Premier League derby of the season, knowing that they need their first home win since September with the potential to climb to 7th place in the League.
After their succesful Europa League venture on Thursday, Wolves' attention once again focuses on the Premier League and the search for another home win, This time against the team sitting one place above the relegation zone, however games against the teams at the bottom often tend to be a problem for Nuno Espirito Santo's team to overcome.
Willy Boly and Morgan Gibbs-White are likely to be missing from the matchday aquad, but hopefully Ryan Bennet and Romaine Saiss will be fit to start. Adama Traore had an injury scare on Thursday but will hopefully also be fit. It is reported that Villa captain and midfield star Jack Grealish will have a 50:50 chance of starting the game.
The game will feature on Sky's Super Sunday programme, starting at 1:00pm with a 2:00pm kick off. Our referee will be Anthony Taylor
This board will hopefully carry a limited commentary, and members are encouraged to post their own observations for the benefit of those unable to watch the game.
Raul sets up Joao but he shoots way over the bar. Great break forward by Jota but he overhits pass to Adam who was in ideal position. All Wolves at the moment but not enough shots on target.
Nakamba fouls Jota to break up an attack & gets a yellow card. Free kick is put too close to the keeper. Raul breaks into the area but puts his left footed shot just wide
As always Raul putting a shift in during his 50th PL game.
Doc clashes with Targett in the area & goes down. Being reviewed by VAR. Wolves fans singing F..k VAR,, Targett still down injured
Marauding break forward by Jota much like at the no of last week's game ends in a goal kick.
Mings takes down Adama& gets a yellow card.
Free kick passes by Joao to Neves and he buries it in style
Wolves 1 Villa 0
El Ghazi goes down after a challenge by Joao & play is stopped by Wolves. Nothing wrong with him!!! 3 added minutes to play. Now a Targett is down again.
Shot from well outside area by Luiz comfortably taken by Rui
Half time whistle. Wolves have excellent against a poor Villa side, but have failed to get enough shots on target. Neves scored a typical classy goal from outside area after Joao passed a free kick straight to him and he put it in the right corner. Saiss ducked out of the way of it!
Villa showed little creativity or challenge and have had to sub two players and have had 3 yellow cards. Hopefully Wolves can put them to the sword in second half
Good performance overall.. Jimenez really should have scored or at least played Jota in with one effort and Villa should be down to ten after Mings went in studs first on Traore. A 2nd should kill them off and hope we don't sit back on this.
Boys are playing well and have generally bossed the first half but would like to see them impose themselves more in the second half. Feel that Villa have a red card just waiting to be flourished and with two subs already it would really hinder them.
This would be the ideal match for Cutrone to announce his arrival. Saiss needs to be careful and can see Nuno replacing him at some point.
A goal in front and more to come I think.
Mourinho at HT " Wolves are the better team with better players " . I never thought I'd hear words like that from Mourinho regarding the respective teams back in the days of good old beetroothead
Lupinehowler Boys are playing well and have generally bossed the first half but would like to see them impose themselves more in the second half. Feel that Villa have a red card just waiting to be flourished and with two subs already it would really hinder them.
This would be the ideal match for Cutrone to announce his arrival. Saiss needs to be careful and can see Nuno replacing him at some point.
A goal in front and more to come I think.
Beautiful goal. Cannot believe all 22 players will still be on at the end and just hoping Saiss can avoid the grim reaper. Some magical stuff from Wolves but a little frustrating with the finishing. Villa are dire but it certainly needs another goal to calm nerves
Corner to Villa easily cleared.
Jota to Raul to Neves & his shot pug over the bar by Mings.
Villa break from corner & set up Westley but he spoons his effort over the bar
Villa posing quite a threat at present & Wolves too deep. At stopped in case Leander had a head injury. Another chance for Raul is wasted. We desperately need a second goal here
It was a great tackle and pass by Neves to Adama. Neves now replaced by Ryan Bennett & Leandr moves in o midfield. Moutinho booked for a foul. El Ghazi's free kick easily taken by Rui
That's it. Wolves win 2 - 1 and move into the top half of the table. Not a thoroughly convincing performance against a poor Villa team, but they got the goals when they mattered. All focus now on the L'pool v City game!!
Wolves move up to 7th after their win
Wolves 2 Villa 1
Frantic second half where we lost control but another match where I thought at one point we’d rue the chances missed and where good possession broke down. We were so far the better side in the first half, Villians would have been embarrassed but we failed to capitalise. What a goal from Neves, superb but a lovely second to finish it off, so we thought. Great to get the win, clearly the best team on the pitch. Need to be more clinical. I’m not complaining at 8th in the league AND beating the Villa!
A below par second half when we really should have pressed forward instead of sitting back on a one goal lead.
Jota getting more and more frustrated the longer he goes without scoring and foolishly getting booked which will do him and us no good at some point in the future.
Two great goals and it would be easy to heap praise on the scorers but the standout performance for me came from Dendoncker who, apart from a couple of loose passes, barely put a foot wrong.
Traore coming along in leaps and bounds and must surely be one of the first names on the teamsheet.
It has taken some time to settle on a working format and I am feeling far more optimistic than I did only a matter weeks ago and if progress is maintained then we could be in for a very good season.
Great win just a shame we didn't put 4 or 5 past them, I don't think villa could of complained. We totally outclassed them today. My how times have changed, happy days are here again! Pride of the Midlands ay we!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019:11:11:00:22:48 by essington wolf.
Good performance today against a poor Villa side that were missing a few pllayers noticeably Grealish which gave a lot of freedom to Neves and Moutinho who ran midfield.
Last 3 games Wolves have had 60 shots on goal and scored 4 goals. They have to sort out what is going wrong in front of goal.
Traore emerging as a class act. If he keeps improving under Nuno he could become an X factor player. And Wolves aye had one of them for a long time.
Good performance, if a little frustrating in front of goal which is a theme this season. Played them off the park when we didn't sit back. Should have had 4 or 5.
Result flattered Villa. Grealish was out but that didn't affect the midfield as he's been playing in a forward role for the last few weeks so the midfield was full strength, yet the 3 of their lads were bullied and dominated by Neves and Moutinho. Was McGinn even on the pitch? Barely noticed him all game.
We're now 8th and still nowhere near top form. Hopefully we'll hit form soon enough and stick around that 8th spot. Getting top half and knockouts of the Europa would be a good season all things considered.
Oh, and the referee made the game far more even than it should have been too. Seen some bad officiating in my time but that was one of the worst. Anthony Taylor, you are sh1te.
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