ALWAYS WOLVES PRODUCER EMMA SHARES HER THOUGHTS FOLLOWING ANOTHER WOLVES DEFEAT THIS TIME TO VILLA
For Wolves fans, it’s another disheartening chapter in a challenging season. Despite leading for much of the game, a flurry of late goals from Villa turned the tide. This result leaves Wolves in a precarious position, at the bottom of the table, desperately in need of revitalisation as they face a string of top-tier opponents. As the dust settles, the pressing question remains: Can Wolves find their footing before it’s too late?
Key Moments of the Match
The clash between Villa and Wolves was nothing short of the proverbial game of two halves. Wolves dominated the opening half and got a goal but they failed to capitalise on their dominance, exert some killer instinct and put the game beyond reach.
Cunha Strikes First: Matheus Cunha got the ball rolling for Wolves with a dazzling opener. Gifted the ball by a mistake from Diego Carlos, Cunha dashed forward and unleashed a powerful shot from the edge of the box, sending the ball bouncing in off the post and giving Wolves a promising start
Watkins Levels the Field: Villa were struggling to find a way through until Ollie Watkins brought them back to life. His effort came with a slice of luck, as his shot deflected off a Wolves defender, catching the goalkeeper off guard to level the score at 1-1
Konsa’s Decisive Goal: With just minutes left on the clock, Ezri Konsa emerged as Villa’s hero. He capitalised on a loose ball in the box and slotted it home, turning the game on its head and putting Villa ahead
Duran Seals the Deal: As Wolves pushed for a late equaliser, Villa’s super-sub Jhon Duran struck again. In added time, he found himself in the right place to toe-poke Morgan Rogers’ pass into the net, sealing the victory and sending the Villa fans into a frenzy.
What Went Wrong for Wolves?
Wolves’ journey through this match started with promise but quickly met stumbling blocks that proved costly.
Tactical Missteps: Gary O’Neil’s side initially looked structured, utilising pressing tactics effectively. However, as the match wore on, the team dropped deeper and deeper. What was once a cohesive effort to contain Villa became disjointed, leaving gaps that were swiftly exploited.
Player Performances: While Matheus Cunha opened the scoring with a superb effort, other players didn’t match his level. Jorgen Strand Larsen and Rayan Air Nouri missed crucial chances.
Wasted Opportunities: Wolves had several chances to extend their lead before half-time. They controlled possession and made inroads but failed to convert these into goals. This lack of clinical finishing added to their woes, we allowed Villa to remain in contention.
Maintaining Focus and Intensity: Wolves first half was excellent but I really don’t understand why Wolves were content to knock the ball around waiting for half time for the last five minutes of the first half whilst Villa where down to ten men. Surely they know that a 1-0 lead would never be sufficient to win against local rivals Villa. As fatigue set in, Wolves’ defence crumbled under Villa’s relentless pressure. What could have been key tackles or interceptions turned into missed opportunities. This allowed Villa to gain ground and eventually take control.
Substitute Impact: Villa’s substitutions injected energy and urgency into their play. As Wolves slowed, players like Barkley, Bailey and Duran capitalised on the dip in energy levels, making decisive contributions to Villa’s comeback. Wolves failed to respond to Unai Emery’s decisive half time changes and Gary O’Neil and his team surely saw that things were no longer working and didn’t respond to this.
Psychological Hurdles: Wolves have found themselves in similar situations before, starting strong but failing to close the game. This trend hints at a psychological barrier that might require more than just tactical adjustments.
Injury Concerns
Mosquera partnered with Craig Dawson for the third consecutive match, and the young Colombian largely impressed throughout. At 23, he appeared composed with the ball and was a strong presence in defence. Sadly, his solid display was cut short with just eight minutes to go, as he left the field on a stretcher. Santiago Bueno came on as his replacement but had little time to adjust before Villa netted two late goals.
O’Neil has since expressed concern about Mosquera’s injury, revealing that the outlook for his knee does not appear promising. “We’re still waiting on details regarding Yerson, but it doesn’t look good. We were already short in that area and didn’t secure a replacement during the transfer window. It’s an issue with his knee,”
O’Neil is clearly frustrated by Wolves’ failure to strengthen their defence over the summer. Now, the team is left with only two fit, first team centre-backs, having not kept a clean sheet in 17 games. With Toti Gomes recovering from a knock and Mosquera possibly facing a lengthy absence, Dawson and Bueno are currently his only options. Although Wolves signed 18-year-old Bastien Meupiyou, he is yet to make his debut.
Five games in, Wolves are in trouble. Not replacing captain Max Kilman after his move to West Ham has left us exposed.
To conclude
In retrospect, Wolves’ performance was a mix of potential and pitfalls, a narrative that’s become all too familiar for their fans. Moving forward, addressing these tactical and mental challenges will be crucial if they are to climb up the Premier League table and regain their footing.
Gary O’Neil needs to get a grip of the situation and quickly or the pitchforks will be out. Wolves need to learn to win and if necessary win ugly not everything we do has to be fancy impressive football sometimes the simple things can do the job.
