Wolves 2-0 Aston Villa
Premier League match report: A crashing drive from Jean Ricner-Bellegarde after a sweeping move across the field looked to have been enough to decide this game, only for Matheus Cunha to make it safe for Vitor Pereira’s side with a fabulous solo goal in added time. Paul MacInnes reports from Molineux …
Vitor Pereira: "For everyone, we are happy"
“I’m very happy and very proud,” says the Wolves manager in an interview with Sky Sports. “We played a tough game. Tactically we played with quality. We played as a team with true spirit, working together and suffering together. I’m very happy. [It was an] important game not only for the three points but to break this [losing streak].
“We know this kind of team [Villa] will come strong and try everything. We organised the block. A clean sheet for us. For everyone we are happy. We know it’s a long way, a difficult way. With our supporters and this spirit we can do it.”
On the disallowed Villa goal: “It was a block on our player. In the moment it looked offside. I was calm.”
Reader, he was emphatically not calm.
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Unai Emery: "We deserved more"
“We started very well in the first 15 minutes but when they scored the goal it was more difficult to come back,” says Villa’s manager. “We had more chances to score the second goal and in the second half we tried to push. We competed better but we had two chances to score and maybe if we score it is different. Over 90 minutes, we deserved more.”
On Donyell Malen’s disallowed goal: “It is VAR’s task,” he says. “They watched it and told me. It was not offside because he did not touch the ball. But it is VAR’s task. Even sometimes I think they are making mistakes.”
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Matt Doherty: "Today was a good performance"
“We knew how important this was after four losses in a row,” says Wolves’ Irish defender. “I’m pretty sure the teams around us lost today. We knew Villa had a lot of players missing, we knew it was a big opportunity and we took it.
“If you do the basics right the results will come. We did what the manager told us - we know we’re good enough to get points. Today was a good performance.
“[We did] a lot of defending. That’s the Premier League – you’re defending to the last minute. It’s the best league in world, the hardest league in world. You have to be switched on for the whole game. We know how good Jose Sa is. He can make incredible saves you’d expect other keepers not to make. We know we’re good enough to beat anyone on our day. This is the type of win that can rally the whole club.”
Matheus Cunha: At the final whistle, Matheus Cunha kissed the Wolves crest on his shirt, pointed to the Molineux pitch and made a loveheart symbol with the fingers of both hands. Make of that what you will.
A cynic might suggest it’s a sure sign he’ll be off before the transfer window closes on Monday but Wolves fans will be desperately hoping he stays at Molineux. He’s a terrific player but has been very strongly linked with a move to Arsenal.
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Full time: Wolves 2-0 Aston Villa
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeeeep! Wolves close out a terrific win, having been forced to cling on to the one-goal lead they got through Jean-Ricner Bellegarde until Matheus Cunha made certain of victory with one of the final kicks of the game.
It was nervy for Vitor Pereira’s team but this win drags them out of the relegation zone, two points clear of Leicester City. For the seventh time in a row, Villa have failed to win in the Premier League following a midweek Champions League adventure.
GOAL! Wolves 2-0 Aston Villa (Cunha 90+7)
Wolves double their lead. Running from his own half, Cunha latches on to a ball played from deep, taking advantage of a lucky ricochet off the shins of Ezri Konsa. The Villa defender gets back, prompting Cunha to hold the ball up instead of heading towards the corner flag in a bid to run down the clock.
Having surveyed his options and seen none, he bamboozles Konsa and Kamara with a stepover and shimmy before firing the ball across Martinez and into the back of the net from about 15 yards. That’s a wonderful goal. He gets booked for removing his shirt during his celebration. It’s all over!
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90+5 min: Bailey goes down injured and is immediately dragged back to his feet by his skipper, John McGinn.
90+3 min: Villa’s pressure is relentless and they win a corner. Bailey sends the ball into the mixer, where Sa punches clear. The ball drops for Tielemans, whose shot on the follow-up sails high over the bar.
90+2 min: Onana tries to play the ball wide to Rogers but Doherty intercepts and just hacks the ball as far as he can down the pitch.
90 min: We’ll have seven minutes of add-ons. Villa win a free-kick near the halfway line for a Nelson Semedo foul on Leon Bailey.
89 min: Wolves have 10 men behind the ball as Villa continue to press and probe for a late equaliser. The ball’s played in behind to Malen, whose snap-shot on the turn is saved by Sa.
86 min: There’s a break in play as Bellegarde goes down with cramp and has to receive treatment. “Champions League! You’re having a laugh!” chant the Molineux faithful. Wolves substitution: Hugo Bueno on for Bellegarde, the goalscorer.
83 min: Villa substitution: Kosta Nedeljkovic on for Lamare Bogarde. That’s Unai Emery’s last throw of the dice as Villa have used all five of their subs. Hats off to Bogarde, who put in more of a shift in 84 minutes of this game than his Uncle Winston did in four years at Chelsea.
82 min: Maatsen’s cross into the Wolves penalty area is cleared but Villa keep turning the screw. The players of Wolves are clinging on to their lead.
79 min: Wolves substitution: Hwang Hee-chan is on for Sarabia, who is actually being taken off on this, the second occasion his number has gone up on the fourth official’s board in red lights.
77 min: Cunha’s low, weak free-kick is smothered by Martinez but the referee orders a re-take for some reason or other – I honestly don’t know what. Cunha’s second effort is whipped just high and wide of the top corner.
75 min: Wolves free-kick for a Kamara foul on Bellegarde a few yards outside the penalty area, left of centre. It’s a wonderful position.
72 min: Wolves double-substitution: Rodrigo Gomes and Tommy Doyle and come on for Ait-Nouri and Guedes. There’s a break in play while the officials try to figure out how many players Wolves have on the pitch before the two subs come on. I am not sure how this confusion has arisen – possibly because Sarabia’s number went up on the board at one point.
70 min: Semedo runs on to a ball played from deep into the centre. Offside.
68 min: Cunha and Bogarde tussle as they chase the ball towards the Villa byline. Bogarde is stronger and the ball runs out of play for a Villa goal-kick.
64 min: Already on a yellow card, Morgan Rogers escapes a second one despite being penalised for a somewhat cynical foul on Matheus Cunha. He needs to be careful.
63 min: Agbadou blocks from Bailey after good work down the left by Konsa and Jacob Ramsey.
61 min: It’s worth noting that the Villa “equaliser” that was ruled out was an excellent set-piece straight out of the Austin McPhee handbook and Morgan Rogers really didn’t need to obstruct Semedo in the build-up, whatever the rights or wrongs of the decision to disallow Malen’s effort.
59 min: Wolves free-kick, wide on the right. Matheus Cunha’s cross to the near post is half-cleared and the home side appeal for a penalty after a Malen kicks the back of Toti’s heel while trying to clear the ball. I’ve seen them given for a lot less but the Villa substitute gets away with it.
Villa goal disallowed by VAR
54 min: It’s an excellent set-piece routine straight off the training ground. The ball is played low along the ground by Bailey to McGinn, who squares for Malen to tap home from close range.
The goal is ruled out for a Rogers offside despite the player not touching the ball after a VAR consultation but I’m not sure it should have been. The officials in Stockley Park seem to think he interfered with play by obstructing Nelson Semedo as the free-kick was rolled towards McGinn.
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52 min: Rogers bears down on the Wolves penalty area and is hustled off the ball by Doherty. It’s a soft free-kick for Villa in a good position, three yards outside the Wolves penalty area, left of centre. Wolves manager Vitor Pereira gets booked for protesting against the award of the free-kick.
51 min: Sarabia plays a weighted ball towards the byline for Semedo to chase, He hooks a cross into the penalty area but the flag goes up.
49 min: Ah, there we go. Onana is fouled by Bellegarde and Villa have a free-kick wide on the right. McGinn floats the ball towards the far post, where Jose Sa claims easily.
48 min: Villa’s subs get involved as Bailey plays a crossfield pass to Maatsen, who pings the ball towards Malen. Wolves clear their lines before Amadou Onana can stick his oar in.
Second half: Wolves 1-0 Aston Villa
46 min: Play resumes with four changes in personnel for Villa. Amadou Onana, Ian Maatsen, Donyell Malen and Leon Bailey are on for Garcia, Digne, Ramsey and Watkins.
Ollie Watkins: I will be surprised if we see Aston Villa’s striker come out for the second half. He’s in very obvious discomfort with a groin injury that will only be exacerbated if he plays on in this game.
An email: “Re: Sarabia’s booking,” writes Adam Roberts. “In Half Man Half Biscuit’s ‘Paintball’s Coming Home’ there was this couplet: ‘If I were a linesman, I would execute defenders who applauded my offsides’.”
An email: “I can’t believe Villa sold their Colombian striker!” writes Peter Oh. “There goes the Duran Duran banter. “Without him, they don’t seem as hungry like the Wolves.”
Half-time: Wolves 1-0 Aston Villa
The sides go in for the break with Wolves leading their local rivals by the only goal of the game, scored by Jean-Ricner Bellegarde. They missed several gilt-edged chances to extend their lead, the pick of them when Goncalo Guedes missed on the follow-up after Matheus Cunha had failed to beat Martinez in a one-on-one. Wolves are in the ascendency on the pitch and the scoreboard but there’s only the kick of a ball in it.
45+5 min: Guedes shoots on the turn from a narrow angle but is denied by Martinez. It wasn’t as easy as his previous two opportunities but it was a chance nonetheless. It’s half-time.
45+4 min: Cunha sends a low cross into the Villa box after giving Andres Garcia the slip. Ezri Konsa slides in to intercept.
45+3 min: Lamare Bogarde is booked for foul on Rayan Ait-Nouri.
45+2 min: We’re into four minutes of added time at the end of this first half. Wolves are well worth their lead and should be further ahead. Their goalkeeper, Jose Sa, has yet to make a save.
45 min: Bellegarde plays Guedes in behind the Villa defence but his shot acorss the bows of Martinez towards the far corner rolls a yard wide of the far post. That’s two glorious chances the Portuguese has missed.
43 min: Oh dear. Ollie Watkins appears to be in discomfort and is feeling his groin. It’s a good job Villa have Jhon Duran in reser … oh.
40 min: Jacob Ramsey is penalised for a blatant, if accidental, trip on Sarabia in the area between the touchline and the Villa penalty area. He protests his innocence in the most vociferous terms but like Sarabia, doesn’t have a leg to stand on. Kamara sends the free-kick out for a corner, from which nothing comes.
38 min: Ollie Watkins goes to ground after getting caught in the small of the back by Jose Sa’s knee as the duo contested a high ball which the Wolves goalkeeper won. It’s a sore one but I don’t think it’s too serious.
35 min: Rogers tries to play Ramsey through on goal but his pass is superbly intercepted by – I think – Agbadou. Wolves break upfield and Cunha outmuscles Kamara to find himself clean through on goal. With the Villa goal at his mercy and only Martinez to beat, he shoots too close to the goalkeeper. Goncalo Guedes shoots wide on the follow-up and a glorious chance to double their lead goes to waste for Wolves.
34 min: Pablo Sarabia gets booked for – I love this – sarcastically applauding one of the referee’s assistants after he’d raised his flag.
32 min: McGinn and Bellegarde have an off-the-ball tussle of soerts that leaves the Villa skipper holding his face and cussing his opponent. Already on a yellow card, McGinn needs to control his temper.
32 min: Sarabia floats the ball towards the far post, Agbadou nips in behind to nod the ball across the face of goal and Villa hack it clear. The flag goes up for offside, although I’m not sure why. Agbadou was definitely onside.
30 min: Morgan Rogers is booked for a foul on Toti, who was galloping forward from deep. Free-kick for Wolves about 35 yards from the Villa goal.
28 min: Wolves advance again but Sarabia makes a pig’s ear of his low delivery in the general direction of Cunha and Guedes. Emi Martinez is quick off his line to claim the ball on the edge of his area.
25 min: “I can’t help but wonder if there is internal intrigue and drama behind Jhon Duran’s Aston Villa exit,” writes Eric Peterson. “As lucrative a transfer fee as Villa have coming their way, to jettison the league’s most eye-catching backup striker when Villa have three competitions on their plate is, well, eye-catching.
“It’s a great bit of addition by subtraction if it works out, but if Villa doesn’t have the squad depth to handle this year’s remaining workload, they run the risk of becoming this season’s version of 2023-24 Newcastle.”
Don’t worry, Marcus is coming.
24 min: Wolves corner. As the ball comes in, Toti Gomes is penalised for grappling with Boubacar Kamara.
23 min: Now Bellegarde whips a cross into the Villa box but Pablo Sarabia is unable – or perhaps unwilling – to get into a position between defenders to attack it. Instead he hangs at the periphery near the far post hoping the ball will comes his way.
22 min: Ait-Nouri and Cunha combine down the left and the Wolves striker sends in a delicious cross. There’s nobody in an old gold shirt on hand to get on the end of it and the ball is put out for a corner. Nothing comes of it.
19 min: Wolves are already showing signs they’re going to sit back and try to protect their lead, which seems a dangerous game to play. Tielemans avoids a yellow card for a cynical foul on Sarabia, who looks bemused.
16 min: There’s a break in play so the ref can book John McGinn for a late lunge on Rayan Ait-Nouri that left the Wolves winger with stud marks on his ankle. It’s a nasty challenge but VAR agrees a yellow card is punishment enough.
14 min: The ball breaks to John McGinn from a Villa corner and his shot from distance is deflected wide for another set-piece. On this occasion, Digne’s outswinger is headed clear.
GOAL! Wolves 1-0 Aston Villa (Bellegarde 12)
Wolves lead! Jean-Ricner Bellegarde scores his first goal at Molineux after peeling off Kamara to run on to an excellent ball in behind from Sarabia and smash an excellent shot inside the near post.
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11 min: A Lucas Digne corner is headed clear at the near post. Moments later, Morgan Rogers is penalised for a foul on Pablo Sarabia near the halfway line.
9 min: Andre Garcia takes on and beats Rayan Ait Nouri down the right flank and sends a cross towards the far post. Nelson Semedo clears, accidentally catching Watkins with a flailing arm as he does so.
9 min: Matheus Cunha is penalised for a barge on Konsa and play halts again, prompting laughter from the Wolves striker. It’s been a scrappy opening.
8 min: Doherty launches the ball forward from deep but his delivery is headed clear.
6 min: Boubacar Kamara, playing in an unfamiliar role in the heart of Villa’s defence, gallops forward with the ball at his feet. Wolves intercept his pass and clear.
5 min: John McGinn buys a cheap free-kick from Matt Doherty near the halfway line. He just fell over, in my humble opinion. Other views are available.
4 min: Matheus Cunha plays a free-kick from halfway inside the Villa half along the deck in a routine that started on the training ground and probably should have stayed there for a while while longer. Lucas Digne intercepts and clears.
2 min: Tielemans overhits his delivery, making it easy for Sa to claim it unchallenged near the far post.
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1 min: Sarabia loses the ball near the halfway line and Villa win a free-kick when Jacob Ramsey is fouled on his way towards the Wolves penalty area. It’s in line with the right edge of the box.
Wolves v Aston Villa is go ...
1 min: Wolves get the ball rolling on Andy Madley’s whistle, playing it straight back to their goalkeeper Jose Sa.
Not long now: Skippers Nelson Semedo and John McGinn lead their teams out on to the Molineux pitch with kick-off just a few minutes away. In a splendid piece of symmetry, the two clubs are separated by 21 miles geographically and the same number of points in the league table. Nice.
Fun fact: Aston Villa have failed to win any of the last six Premier League games they have contested following a midweek Champions League excursion, drawing three and losing three against West Ham (D), Nottingham Forest (L), Chelsea (L), Liverpool (L), Bournemouth (D) and Manchester United (D).
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Unai Emery: “Of course we are changing the squad because we need to improve at everything – individually and collectively,” said Villa’s manager, when asked about the impact of the transfer window on his side.
“We will miss some players in the squad because we did not change Diego Carlos or [Emi] Buendia. We have the last player leaving - it’s not official - but it’s Jhon Duran. The players we have are trying and showing their commitment.”
Emery also added that Ollie Watkins is happy to stay at Villa, despite the midweek approach from Arsenal, the team he supported as a kid.
Vitor Pereira: “I play in my career a lot of derbies, big derbies and every time when I go to a country they say to me ‘this is the most incredible derby in the world’,” said the Wolves manager, upon asked about the prospect of facing Aston Villa. “Of course I understand. It’s important for us to play with our supporters. I hope we get a good result and hope that we can make proud our supporters.”
Today’s match officials
Referee: Andy Madley.
Assistants: Nick Hopton and Craig Taylor.
Fourth official: Tim Robinson.
VAR: Matt Donohue.
Assistant VAR: Wade Smith.
Those teams: Vitor Pereira makes three changes to the side that lost against Arsenal last Saturday. Toti, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Goncalo Guedes come into the starting line-up in place of Hugo Bueno, the suspended Joao Gomes and the injured Jorgen Strand Larsen.
There are also three changes to the Aston Villa side that drew with West Ham. Andres Garcia makes his debut for the club at right-back after arriving from Levante, while Lamare Bogarde and John McGinn are also in. They come in for the injured Matty Cash and Tyrone Mings, while Leon Bailey is among the substitutes.
Villa lining up Rashford deal
Aston Villa are close to agreeing a deal to sign Marcus Rashford on loan for the rest of the season, with Unai Emery driving the move to sign the out-of-favour Manchester United forward. Ben Fisher reports …
Wolves v Aston Villa line-ups
Wolves: Jose Sa, Doherty, Toti Gomes, Agbadou, Nelson Semedo, Andre Trindade, Bellegarde, Ait Nouri, Sarabia, Cunha, Goncalo Guedes.
Subs: Johnstone, Bueno, Hwang, Dawson, Rodrigo Gomes, Doyle, Forbs, Chirewa, Pedro Lima.
Aston Villa: Martinez, Garcia, Konsa, Bogarde, Digne, Kamara, Tielemans, McGinn, Rogers, Ramsey, Watkins.
Subs: Olsen, Zych, Malen, Nedeljkovic, Maatsen, Onana, Bailey, Swinkels, Jimoh.
Early team news
Mario Lemina remains outside the Wolves first-team picture as he inches ever closer to the Molineux exit door. Reports yesterday suggest the midfielder is off to Saudi Arabia to play for Al Shabab, where he will line up alongside his former teammate Daniel Podence.
Joao Gomes is suspended, but his namesake Toti could return from injury. Jorgen Strand Larsen is a major doubt, while long-term absentees Yerson Mosquera, Enso Gonzalez, Sasa Kalajdzic and Carlos Forbs all remain sidelined with knee problems. Boubacar Traore has recovered from his knee injury but has been ruled out with a dose of flu.
Aston Villa full-back Matty Cash is facing a month out with the calf injury that forced him off during his team’s midweek win over Celtic in the Champions League, while Amadou Onana, Tyrone Mings, Ross Barkley and Pau Torres are also out.
Donyell Malen could make his first start for Villa having been ineligible for selection against Celtic in midweek following his debut for the club off the bench against West Ham last Sunday.
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Premier League: Wolves v Aston Villa
To Molineux, then, for a Black Country derby between two teams fighting for local bragging rights but with very different aims in mind when it comes to the bigger picture. Wolves are battling against relegation, while their visitors hoping to qualify for the Champions League for a second consecutive season.
Villa came from behind to run out fairly convincing winners in the corresponding fixture at Villa Park in September, but only after getting a rocket from their manager, Unai Emery, who was left visibly seething with rage by his team’s first-half performance.
Wolves manager Vitor Pereira was similarly angry last week when Joao Gomes picked up a daft second yellow card against Arsenal last weekend. Having picked up a booking in the first half, the Brazilian was kept on the pitch after assuring his manager he would not do anything rash and then proceeded to jump into a challenge with Jurrien Timber. Kick-off at Molineux is at 5.30pm (GMT) but we’ll have team news and build-up in the meantime.
