Premier League: Villa Can Further Blunt the Toothless Wolves

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Aston Villa

Aston Villa are keen to extend their undefeated run here in the Premier League, as they’re one of the teams gunning for a coveted berth in European football next season. With three draws and two wins in their last five, the Villans improved to 37 points, good for eighth place in the English top-flight standings. Unai Emery’s men are fresh from a 4-2 win over Celtic in the Champions League last night, and they will fly straight to Molineux to take on the struggling Wolves this Saturday night.

The Wolves are entrenched in the relegation zone, so points are at a premium. Vitor Pereira’s side is 18th in the table with 16 points, level with 19th-seeded Ipswich Town. However, if they somehow secure a rare road win, Wolves will get out of the drop zone, at least temporarily.

 

Talking Points

Lineup blows for Wolves

The Wolves are already the underdogs heading into this match, and it doesn’t help that they might miss up to two key players this Saturday. Joao Gomes must serve his suspension, while head coach Vitor Pereira is sweating on Jorgen Strand Larsen’s fitness.

Gomes was sent off against Arsenal after receiving his second yellow card in the 70th minute. The Brazilian mistimed a challenge to get the ball under control, and his cleats hit Jurrien Timber’s ankle. Gomes is said to be lucky not to get a straight red card, but he was sent off regardless. After the game, Nelson Semedo said this will serve as a learning experience for the 23-year-old, who already has two league goals and one assist this season. 

Jorgen Strand Larsen only lasted 32 minutes against Arsenal after sustaining a knock. The Norwegian forward is the Wolves’ second-leading scorer with seven league goals and two assists, so losing him will be a major blow. If Jorgen Strand Larsen is unavailable this weekend, Vitor Pereira may call on Goncalo Guedes or Hwang Hee-Chan to take his place in the starting XI.

The Wolves will continue to rely heavily on Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri, who have combined for 13 league goals and nine assists this season.

 

Aston Villa lose their super sub for good

Aston Villa recently sold Jhon Duran to Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr, who are keen to strengthen their attacking corps with Cristiano Ronaldo not getting any younger. Duran’s shocking departure blindsided manager Unai Emery. But at least the club will receive a hefty transfer fee (around £63 million). The Colombian striker was the Villans’ second-leading scorer with seven league goals this season.

Ollie Watkins, with 10 league goals and six assists, will bear the heavy offencive load for Aston Villa with Duran no longer by his side. He will need help in the final third against the Wolves, and he’ll likely get it from Morgan Rogers, who scored a hat-trick against Celtic yesterday. There have been rumours that Arsenal are interested in poaching Watkins, but Aston Villa would be asinine to sell the Englishman to their Premier League rivals.

 

History

The Wolves and the Villans have already squared off earlier this season. Aston Villa registered a 3-1 win at Villa Park last September, as Ollie Watkins, Ezri Konsa, and Jhon Duran scored three second-half goals to overturn a one-goal deficit created by Matheus Cunha in the first half.

After losing three of their first four Premier League home matches against Aston Villa (D1), the Wolves have only lost one of their last five against the Villans in the Molineux (W3, D1).

The Villans will secure a league double over Wolves for the first time since the 2003-04 campaign if they win again on Saturday. Aston Villa have yet to lose a Premier League match under Unai Emery against a side in the drop zone (W13, D5).

 

Betting Tip

The Premier League 2025 odds expect Aston Villa to take the full three points from this contest. The Villans are priced at 2.11 to win, whereas the Wolves are at 3.07, and a draw is at 3.31 in the 1X2 market. We might see a replay of the reverse fixture, given the difference in forms between these two sides.

A Correct Score of 3-1 in favour of Aston Villa – the result of their game last September – is priced at 15.50. SBOTOP bettors and football fans will also get their usual dose of Premier League 2025 highlights, making options like Over 2.50 at 1.70, Over 2.75 at 1.89, Over 3.00 at 2.16, and even Total Goals 4-6 at 2.86 viable, with Total Goals 2-3 at 2.04 the more conservative alternative.

   

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