Wolves vs Aston Villa: Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips

Wolves are coming into this game after losing their previous three games in all competitions, and defensively, the hosts have been suffering with no clean sheets in their last six. Aston Villa have not been assured at the back either, with no clean sheets in four matches for Unai Emery's side.

The Villains are unbeaten in the last three meetings between the two sides, with both teams scoring in five of the previous seven meetings involving both teams. Wolves have the worst defensive record in the Premier League with 52 goals conceded, and we believe Aston Villa will add to their defensive woes on Saturday – Wolves 1-2 Aston Villa

This West Midlands derby sees Wolves host Aston Villa in the Premier League, with both teams looking to bounce back from dropped points last weekend.

Date: 01/02/25

Kick-off time: 17:30

Venue: Molineux

After 23 games played, Wolves are in the thick of a relegation battle. Despite seeing an immediate impact from new manager Vitor Pereira with two wins in his first two games, the side has not won since, losing four and drawing once. This has left them in the relegation zone, a point adrift of safety.

Aston Villa, on the other hand, are in the mix for a Champions League place, likely earned with a top five finish. Fifth is currently occupied by Newcastle, who Villa trail by just four points. However, there are two other teams between them, with Chelsea and Bournemouth also in the fight. Such is the congestion in the middle of the table, they are only four ahead of Fulham in 10th, meaning the result of this game may have a huge impact on the standings.

Goals should be a feature, particularly for the visitors, who face the league’s second worst defence. Wolves’ 52 goals conceded is only better than bottom club Southampton, who have allowed 53. Villa have scored 34 goals this season, 10 of which have come from Ollie Watkins. There has been transfer speculation regarding the striker in the closing days of the window, but Unai Emery will hope this has no impact on his performance. He has scored two in his last three, including the winner at Everton and equaliser at Arsenal.

Despite their defensive frailties, Wolves have actually enjoyed success going forward. Only Tottenham and Brentford have scored more than their 32 goals in the bottom half. Although, they have only scored once in their last four. The visitors, however have kept just one clean sheet in their last eight league games. Matheus Cunha leads the way for Wolves with 10, and should have confidence in helping his side get on the scoresheet. The key for the hosts will be keeping Villa out at the other end.

These two teams have met 10 times in the Premier League since 2020. Wolves just about edge the head-to-head in this period with four wins to Villa’s three and three draws. Villa are winners of the last two meetings, though this snapped a six-game winless streak against their opponents. The corresponding fixture last season ended in a 1-1 draw, while the reverse fixture earlier this campaign ended 3-1 to the hosts at Villa Park. Wolves had taken the lead early, but Villa turned it around late.

Wolves vs Aston Villa will be available to watch on Sky Sports Main Event & Football.

Wolves

After receiving a red card for two yellows last time out against Arsenal, Joao Gomes will miss out this weekend through suspension. Jorgen Strand Larsen also picked up an injury, not believed to be serious, that may keep him sidelined. Carlos Borges and Boubacar Traore will also be out.

Aston Villa

Matty Cash was substituted in their most recent game, so his availability is in doubt. Amadou Onana has been out with a thigh injury but should return for this game. Ross Barkley could also be involved in the squad following a brief absence. Tyrone Mings picked up a knee injury last week which should see him sidelined for a couple of weeks.

Wolves:

In their last five games, Wolves have won one and lost four. It has been a poor stretch for Wolves after they made a solid start under new management. This run started with defeat on home soil against Nottingham Forest, where they were convincingly beaten 3-0. Morgan Gibbs-White, Chris Wood and Taiwo Awoniyi were the goalscorers.

The following weekend they travelled to Bristol City in the third round of the FA Cup. They won 2-1 with goals from Rayan Ait-Nouri and Rodrigo Gomes. A return to Premier League action saw them travel to Newcastle where they lost 3-0. Alexander Isak (x2) and Anthony Gordon were the goalscorers.

Another away game followed, this time at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea. They lost 3-1, despite finding an equaliser on the stroke of half-time through Matt Doherty. Second half goals from Marc Cucurella and Noni Madueke condemned them to defeat. Last time out they hosted Arsenal. They lost 1-0 to a Riccardo Calafiori strike with 16 minutes to go. This came shortly after Joao Gomes saw red, following an earlier controversial red card for Arsenal youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Aston Villa:

In their last five games, Aston Villa have won two, drawn two and lost one. It has been a decent stretch for Villa, as they played in both domestic and European competitions. The first game of this run was a tricky away trip to Everton, but they came through with a 1-0 win. Ollie Watkins scored the only goal of the game shortly into the second half.

Another tough trip followed, this time at Arsenal, where they picked up a big point in a 2-2 draw. They fell to a 2-0 deficit, but two goals in the space of less than 10 minutes from Youri Tielemans and Watkins meant the points were shared. Champions League action saw a third consecutive away game, though this time they lost 1-0 at French side Monaco. Wilfried Singo scored the early winning goal.

At the weekend they hosted West Ham in the league. They drew 1-1 after Emerson Palmieri cancelled out an early Jacob Ramsey opener. In their most recent game they faced Celtic in the final matchday of the Champions League group phase. A 4-2 win meant they advanced to the knockout stages. They went 2-0 ahead early, but were pegged back before the break. Watkins and Morgan Rogers sealed the win – the latter completing a hat-trick.

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