Aston Villa-Wolverhampton is a match valid for the 30th day of the Premier League and is played on Saturday at 6:30pm: live TV, probable formations, predictions.
The Champions League goal seems ever closer for Aston Villa, which dreams of returning to play the most important international competition after so many years. Unai Emery’s team, despite a few slips – inexplicable, for example, the home thud in the direct clash with Tottenham (0-4) three weeks ago – is keeping the tiller straight. And at the moment it is the one with the best chance of finishing in fourth place, behind the three biggies (City, Liverpool, Arsenal) that are vying for the title.
The Villans are fourth on 56 points but continue to feel the breath on the necks of Spurs, who have yet to make up a game and are only three points down. Barring a comeback by Manchester United, which at the moment is a long way off – they are -9 behind the Birmingham club – the battle for fourth place will be between Villa and Tottenham, although eventually they could both find themselves in the Champions League since if England were to finish in the top two places in the Uefa rankings the slots would be five and not four.
With Wolves it’s almost a derby
Before the break Aston Villa squandered a big chance, drawing 1-1 at home to West Ham and not taking advantage of Tottenham’s collapse in the derby with Fulham.
Now a “near-derby” awaits him with Wolverhampton, fresh from their unexpected defeat to Championship club Coventry (2-3), which cost them elimination from the FA Cup. They have no half measures in the league either, the Wolves, who in the last 5 days have collected 3 wins and 2 defeats. With one match less than West Ham seventh – the Hammers are at +3 – Gary O’Neil’s men can still dream of a place in the next European cups, which would be a feat if we consider what the premises were at the beginning of the season (quiet salvation). The black-and-gold coach at Villa Park will be without two important pawns such as Hwang and Pedro Neto, but his colleague Emery also has to give up a piece de resistance such as captain McGinn.
The Prediction
In recent years Wolves have become something of a taboo for Aston Villa, which has failed to beat them since 2020. Another complicated and hostile match is looming for Unai Emery’s team, also deprived of its captain, but this time we believe that the “curse” will be broken: trust the Villans in a match in which both teams are likely to score.
The probable lineups of Aston Villa-Wolverhampton
ASTON VILLA (4-4-2): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Pau Torres, Moreno; Bailey, Tielemans, Douglas Luiz, Ramsey; Watkins, Diaby.
WOLVERHAMPTON (3-4-2-1): Jose Sa; Kilman, Dawson, Toti Gomes; Semedo, Doyle, Traoré, Ait-Nouri; Lemina, Sarabia; Fraser.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 2-1
