Wolverhampton vs Aston Villa Predictions

• Aston Villa have won eight of their last 11 games
• Seven of Aston Villa’s last nine Premier League away games have gone under 2.5 goals
• Only the bottom two have scored less than Wolves this season

Midlands rivals meet at Molineux

Aston Villa are right in the fight for the European places thanks to an impressive set of recent performances under Unai Emery that has seen them fly up the table. A 1-0 loss to Manchester United last time out was their first loss in their last 11 games and they will be aiming to bounce back in this derby against Wolves.

The home side were battered 6-0 by Brighton last weekend, putting pay to their recent progress that had seen them pull themselves out of relegation trouble. Now their season is in danger of petering out and they will be hoping this local derby can spark them back to life.

Villa the team with the goal

European football would have been beyond most Aston Villa fans’ dreams when Unai Emery took over at the club but the Villans have improved hand over fist under the manager and now have a real chance of playing continental football for the first time since 2010/11 next season.

A run of eight wins from their last 11 games has fired them into the conversation for a European spot and they have more to play for than Wolves, who are likely to be safe but have little else to play for. Their 6-0 capitulation last time out was emblematic of a team that could have one eye on their summer holidays.

Low-scoring affair a distinct possibility

Goals have consistently been an issue for Wolves in recent years and despite signing a number of attacking options and changing managers, their goalshy nature has persisted. Only the bottom two in the league have netted fewer than Julen Lopetegui’s men. 

To add to that, Villa’s rise up the league has been fuelled by a solid defensive record, seven of their eight recent wins have been without conceding and they have been particularly tight away from home, where seven of their last nine matches have seen fewer than three goals.

Given the struggles of the hosts going forward, it may pay to side with a low-scoring Aston Villa victory. Correct score backers may consider a 2-0 victory for the away side to take the bragging rights back to Birmingham.

Wolves predicted lineup: Sa; Jonny, Dawson, Kilman, Bueno; Nunes, Moutinho, Neves, Hee-Chan; Cunha, Costa

Aston Villa predicted lineup: Martinez; Young, Konsa, Mings, Moreno; Dendoncker, Luiz; McGinn, Buendia, Ramsey; Watkins