WATCH FOR OUR THOUGHTS AHEAD OF WOLVES TRIP TO VILLA PARK
Team News
Rob Edwards has confirmed that Matt Doherty has rejoined the main group for training but this weekend is probably a little bit too soon for him to return. Dan Bentley will be out for a few more weeks and Rodrigo Gomes is still sidelined but is now training on the grass.
Aston Villa head into Sunday’s clash with Wolves with a near full-strength squad, as Tyrone Mings remains their only confirmed absentee. The centre-back has been out since the defeat at Liverpool in early November and is expected to miss around another month.
Rob Edwards
On team news against Aston Villa: “Matt Doherty has returned to training, today’s session is the first he’s really joined, but we’ll see. He still has another day tomorrow. One or two with bumps and bruises, but fairly healthy group there.”
Edwards added that goalkeeper Dan Bentley will be out for another “few weeks”.
On this week’s training at his new club: “It’s been a smoother week. Last week was fine but a bit bitty. It’s been an easier week because we have had a consistent group to work with.”
Edwards speaking about what gives him hope that Wolves can survive this season: “Last week I spoke about a realism. Of course there is a belief there that we can dig ourselves out of this really tough position we are in. But also there is a realism that it’s never been done before.”
On what he learned from his first game in charge against Crystal Palace: “There was a lot of tactical things we need to improve on. That’ll continue to be the case for a while, it’s not a quick fix. there’s lots we need to do to try to fix that.”
Looking towards the Aston Villa match: “This is a really special game. It’s good that I know and understand it as well, two clubs that I’ve represented, I know what it means to both sets of supporters. I want us to go out there and give it our all and put on a really strong performance.”
Stats & Facts
Aston Villa have won their last two home league games against Wolves, having won just one of their previous nine against them at Villa Park (D5 L3).
Wolves won just one of their 14 top-flight games against Aston Villa between 1980 and 2012 (7%). Since both teams have been back in the Premier League (2019), Wolves have won six of their 12 against the Villans (50%).
Aston Villa have won all four of their Premier League games played immediately after playing in Europe in midweek this season, the only side with a 100% winning record so far.
Aston Villa have lost just one of their last 24 Premier League home games (W15 D8), going down 3-0 against Crystal Palace in August.
Wolves are winless in all 12 of their Premier League games this season, picking up just two points. It’s the third lowest points total 12 games into a season in English top-flight history after Manchester United in 1930-31 (0) and Sheffield United in 2020-21 (1).
Aston Villa have won six of their last seven Premier League games (L1), a run that saw them move from 18th to 4th in the Premier League table.
Wolves are winless in their last 16 Premier League games (D3 L13), losing the last five in a row. It’s their longest winless run in the competition since a run of 17 between February 2012 and August 2018, with that run also containing the last time they lost six in a row in the same season (7 in March/April 2012).
Aston Villa have scored more goals from outside the box than any other side in the Premier League this season (8, including two direct free-kicks). Indeed, the Villans have netted more from distance than opponents Wolves have scored in total (7) so far this term.
Morgan Rogers has been involved in five goals in his last seven Premier League games for Aston Villa (3 goals, 2 assists). Last time out against Leeds, he scored his first ever brace in the competition, as well as scoring from his first ever attempt from a direct free-kick.
No player has scored more than once for Wolves across their 12 games so far in the Premier League this season. Only four sides have had a longer wait from the start of a campaign for a player to score twice – Bradford City (15 games in 2000-01), Huddersfield Town (13 in 2018-19), Tottenham (13 in 2006-07) and Wimbledon (13 in 1994-95).
match officials
Referee: Chris Kavanagh. Assistants: Dan Cook, Ian Hussin. Fourth official: Steve Martin. VAR: James Bell. Assistant VAR: Nick Greenhalgh.
form guide (all competitions)
Head to Head (all competitions)
