Aston Villa vs Wolves: Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips

We favour Aston Villa to take the spoils in this local Derby against a Wolves side set for a season of struggle.

Aston Villa has begun the season superbly, with three league wins in their first four games, including the remarkable comeback win over Everton from two goals down.

Ollie Watkins is our choice to be among the goals. Ollie Watkins was instrumental in their Champions League qualification last season, with 32 goal contributions in 37 Premier League games. This season, Watkins has three in four league games regarding goal contributions and averages 1.5 shots on target per game.

Wolves are winless after the first four games in the league with one draw and 11 goals conceded. Wolves are winless away from home in the league since February, with their last win being a 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur.

Simply put, Aston Villa should be strong here against a Wolves team out of sorts. We are predicting a 2-1 win for the Villains.

Aston Villa 2-1 Wolves.

The Premier League is well underway, as a local derby is Saturday’s evening game. Aston Villa are hoping for another season of continental football, as they host a Wolves side looking for their first win of the season.

Date: 21/09/2024
Location: Villa Park
Kick-Off: 3 pm

This fixture is one of the rarest times where two established clubs in the midlands area face each other as Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion are in different divisions. This fixture also brings out the fiercest clashes between the two sides, with over 4.5 cards distributed between the clubs in five of the last six. Interestingly, there has been one red card in this clash in the previous three, with Mario Lemina receiving his marching orders in the game at Molineux last season.

Aston Villa achieved remarkable success last season, qualifying for the UEFA Champions League, a competition they won in 1982. Unai Emery has led this Aston Villa revolution, and this season, his managerial abilities will be tested with how he balances the squad ahead of the extra fixtures. This season, Aston Villa have made their intentions clear as the Villains are fifth after four games, with only one loss. Admittedly, that loss suffered was against potential title contenders Arsenal. Aston Villa began their campaign with a 2-1 win away at West Ham United, followed by the defeat to Arsenal. Consecutive victories over Leicester City and Everton have placed Unai Emery’s side in a great position. The comeback against Everton was a true testament to the resolve of Unai Emery’s side, which was capped off by a wonderful by Jhon Duran.

Wolverhampton Wanderers performed admirably last season, considering the turmoil surrounding the season's opening weeks. Gary O’Neil arrived days before their opening game against Manchester United and, despite the lack of transfer activity, guided Wolves to a comfortable safety position in the Premier League last season. Over the summer, Pedro Neto was sold to Chelsea, so a huge creative influence from last season has now been missing from the club. This season, Wolves are yet to win a game, and one performance in particular has raised concerns: the defeat against Chelsea. In their previous match, Wolves squandered the opportunity for the first win of the season by conceding two goals in the second half against Newcastle United.

The game will not be shown on Live TV.

Predicted Aston Villa Eleven: Martinez, Bogarde, Konsa, Torres, Digne, Onana, Tielemans, McGinn, Rogers, Ramsey, Watkins
Predicted Wolves Eleven: Johnstone, Doherty, Mosquera, Dawson, Bueno, Lemina, Doyle, Gomes, Bellegarde, Cunha, Larsen.

The recent history between the two sides favours the away side, as Wolves have won two of the previous five, with two draws and one defeat. Aston Villa broke a five-game winless run against their opponents in the 2-0 win at Villa Park last season. Wolves have a recent decent record at Villa Park also, with two wins and one loss in their previous five trips. Their most recent win against Aston Villa away from home was a 3-2 win over Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa in 2021.

Aston Villa have lost two games at home since March, both against North London-based teams Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, respectively. The Villains have only lost once at home in their previous five league games, with three wins and one draw. Their last home game produced one of the greatest comebacks you will see all season, capped off by a stupendous effort from Jhon Duran.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have no wins in two away games this season, and disappointingly, Wolves have found scoring hard to come by on their travels. The visitors have averaged 0.5 goals per game this season whilst conceding three. Gary O’Neil’s side needs to find a more strategic route on the road, as they are now on a run of seven games stretching back to last season without a win away at Molineux.

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