A resurgent Aston Villa are set to test their top-four credentials as a hapless Wolves come visiting to Villa Park on Sunday.

Unai Emery came in for heavy criticism at the starting part of the season when Aston Villa went six games without a win. In fact, the Birmingham giants were unable to find the back of the net in more than four games, as things looked bleak for the club and the manager. However, ahead of the visit of Wolves this weekend, Emery has turned things around spectacularly at Aston Villa.

The Villans finished Gameweek 12 in fourth, ahead of some early big hitters. With a manager like Emery on board, they also boast the experience to keep their position in the standings longer than the other incumbents there in recent weeks, like Sunderland.

In midweek, Villa also solidified their position in the Europa League with a win over Swiss side Young Boys, and as per some quarters, they are now the favourites to lift the second-tier trophy at the end of it. However, back to league football, and Emery’s side now take on a hapless Wolves side, with the Villa Park crowd likely to expect a big performance from their team and at least maintain their top four spot.

Meanwhile, Rob Edwards endured a difficult start to life as the new manager of Wolves following the sacking of Vitor Pereira. The Midlands club had never failed to win 12 opening games of a season since the 1965-66 campaign, but they have since created another unwanted record last weekend.

Crystal Palace came visiting to Molineux last weekend, as the Londoners recorded a comfortable win to strengthen their position in the standings. However, for Wolves, it was a continuation of a nightmare run, which further went on to cement their status as relegation favourites at the end of the campaign.

Now, they have another big task on their hands as they travel to Aston Villa, as Edwards will be under tremendous pressure to deliver something positive for the team. Whether that is the case remains to be seen, but it is Villa who are the clear favourites entering this clash.

Team News & Tactics

Aston Villa

Emery still has a few injury issues to deal with ahead of this clash with Wolves, as the manager revealed that defender Tyrone Mings is expected to be sidelined for another month with a hamstring issue. Andres Garcia is the other player missing from action, while there are doubts with Amadou Onana, although the Belgian midfielder is back in full training after missing the game last Sunday.

Hence, Onana is widely expected to make the matchday squad at the very least, as Emery currently may not feel the need to change his setup in the middle. Youri Tielemans and Boubacar Kamara are the preferred options in the middle, with Morgan Rogers expected to play in the attacking midfield role.

Ezri Konsa and Pau Torres are likely to be the central defensive pairing, with Matty Cash and Lucas Digne in the full-back roles. John McGinn and Emiliano Buendia will complete the attack, with Ollie Watkins set to lead the line for Aston Villa against Wolves.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Tielemans, Kamara; McGinn, Rogers, Buendia; Watkins

Wolves

Wolves have a goalkeeping problem, with Dan Bentley spotted in a protective boot that resembles a serious ankle injury. Despite their options running thin in the department, Sam Johnstone must maintain his otherwise dodgy fitness levels. Meanwhile, Matt Doherty is missing out with a knee injury, and while reports are stating he could be back in training, Edwards is unlikely to risk the experienced star at the moment.

There’s a chance Edwards could move away from a back three setting moving forward and bring about his style into play. Meaning, a back four could be in action, with Santiago Bueno and Ladislav Krejci the preferred options in central defence. Ki-Jana Hoever and Hugo Bueno could form the full-back partnership, with Andre likely to sit at the base of the midfield three.

Joao Gomes and Marshall Munetsi are likely to feature on either side of the midfield, as Edwards could make his decision on the front three. Jhon Arias and Jean-Richer Bellegarde are the likely options to feature in the front three, with Jorgen Strand Larsen set to lead the line for Wolves against Aston Villa.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Johnstone; Hoever, S.Bueno, Krejci, H.Bueno; Gomes, Andre, Munetsi; Arias, Larsen, Bellegarde

Key Stats

• Aston Villa have won 6 of their last 7 matches in the Premier League.
• Aston Villa have won only 2 of their last 9 meetings against Wolves.
• Wolves have failed to score in their last 3 matches in the Premier League.
• Wolves have conceded at least 2 goals in their last 5 matches in the Premier League.

Player to Watch

Ollie Watkins

Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:’kS1-JBxgSPhD4Wpijv5ffQ’,sig:’RORKXxJ1oXpiBBc_JljgVU2QPlbNFrKL6FOpJQJMwk4=’,w:’594px’,h:’396px’,items:’2248866268′,caption: true ,tld:’com’,is360: false })});

Emery has no other centre-forward option as good as Watkins at the moment, and there’s a big problem for the attacker when it comes to scoring goals. A solitary goal against Fulham at Villa Park back in September is the only goal to show for his efforts this season across all competitions in around 18 games; the record does appear abysmal.

Fortunately for Emery, he has found different goal scorers in his team, and currently, Aston Villa are not relying on their striker to get the goods. However, for Watkins, a goal should open up his confidence moving forward, which could put him back in contention for the England squad for next year’s World Cup.

Prediction

Aston Villa 2-0 Wolves

Edwards is set for another tough outing that not many will expect Wolves to get anything out of it. Aston Villa are a tough ground to visit for even the topmost teams in the Premier League, and given Wolves are languishing at the bottom of the table, this could be another long day for the Midlands side.

Emery will want his team to take their chances against a relegation favourite to further cement their status as a serious top-four contender. Having come from 18th to 4th in a short span in itself is astonishing, but Villa need to show consistency at this level, as they are widely expected to beat Wolves with relative comfort at Villa Park on Sunday.