Our live stream ahead of Saturdays Premier League Match, Wolves vs Aston Villa is now up and running, kicking off at 12.30 GMT
You can keep an eye on the commentary as it happens below, but first, we take a preview into the fixture, lineups, predictions and much more…
Wolves come into the game coming off a 4-0 drubbing by Liverpool last weekend. The defeat was their fourth of the season leaving them unmoved in 10th position.
They have failed to win back to back games since October, and Nuno Espirito Santo will be looking for a swift response following their trip to Anfield.
Wolves have conceded fewer home goals than any other team in the division this season (5) but are without striker Raul Jimenez for the foreseeable future.
They are expected to again go without a recognised striker, with Daniel Podence expected to be given the nod through the middle.
The Villans’ match with Newcastle United last week was called off due to a coronavirus outbreak in their opponents’ camp, meaning that they have had a 12-day rest between games.
Prior to that they lost their last two games on the bounce and will be looking to pick up some form having lost four of their last five Premier League outings.
Despite their poor form, they sit just two points behind Wolves with two games in hand.
The two clubs last met in June, with Wolves picking up the three points with a 1-0 win away at Villa Park…
PRESS CONFERENCE:
Nuno Espirito Santo
On the derby element of Saturday
“We are fully aware of what it means to face Aston Villa. Almost everybody has experienced it home and away, it’s always a big match and it means a lot to our fans.”
“Unfortunately, they will not be at Molineux to give us a push but will for sure be supporting at home and wishing for the best. We have to compete using all our strengths.”
“It’s our job to try to create something that is impossible to do, the presence of fans to engage the players to their actions during the game. With fans, it’s totally different, the energy they give you, the push, it’s an element to overcome. This is our job, to try and make the players ready for the game.”
On what he expects from Villa
“What I make of Aston Villa is they’re a very good team with a very good manager. They’re full of talented players, it’s a good squad, and they’ve been playing good football. This is our focus, not how the team is, we know we’re going to face a tough opponent.
“It’s a game that will require consistency through the actions, be a unit, compact and take advantage when we have the ball, with the talented players we have – having good possession, unbalancing Villa. It’s an enthusiastic game, a derby, so they’re always special.”
On still feeling the supporters
“I think so, but nothing can substitute the presence, contact, noise and atmosphere, before the matches, when we travel on the bus and when we arrive to Molineux, we have our fans there.”
“It’s always a big lift when you leave the bus to fans and you go to warm up and there’s fans, but it’s not the same. Reading is different from feeling, hugging, touching and speaking.”
On fans returning elsewhere
“This is what we have to accept and not be against something we want – we want fans back as soon as possible to all the stadiums in the Premier League, all over the country, and we have to accept the conditions, the rules the government have decided on regarding tiers, not only in football.
“40 miles away you can have dinner together, but here we cannot, so these are the things that don’t make sense, but it’s up to us to accept it, knowing on the 16th there’s going to be a review.”
“Hopefully fans will be back at Molineux again. Me, as a person of football, I want fans back in. If it happens at Anfield, I’m always supportive of the situation.”
On finding a way to score
“We always have a task as a team – find a way to score. It’s up to us now to find that solution. We’ve been working and I think even during the game against Arsenal, when the episode happened with Raul, we were able to still compete well. This is what we want to do, as a team complete well and find solutions.”
On the last game
“It’s always a reference, but the process is, first we see the mistakes we made and try to correct them on the training ground and then approach the game in a separate way.”
“It’s not about the last game, it’s about the new one. This is what we’ve been doing. First, try to analyse the mistake, correct it, work it, and then prepare the game of tomorrow.”
“All the assets that we need against all the opponents are important. We know the performance of the players, it’s hard to be consistent, ups and downs, some games we have some players that become more active and make more impact.”
“The idea is to have all the players involved, not an individual player creating differences and unbalances teams. It’s about us, being consistent as a team.”
Dean Smith
On recent results…
“Football’s based on performances and if you perform, you’ve got more chance of winning. We’ve performed very well this season, with the exception of Leeds.”
“All the other games that we’ve played and been beaten in, our performance levels have been good. We’ve had some freak goals against us.”
“In the last two games against Brighton and West Ham, we certainly deserved more with the performances we produced. Three games ago we beat Arsenal 3-0, so we’re not doing a lot wrong at the moment.”
On the occasion…
“It’s a game against a team that we’re well aware of because of the distance, but having no fans there takes the juice away from a local derby.”
“I’m sure it will be the same in a few weeks against West Bromwich Albion as well. Unfortunately, not having supporters there is what takes the enjoyment out of these local derbies.”
“There’s no feel for it when you get to the ground. There are no supporters greeting you when you get off the coach or going out to the pitch. It’s different. It loses that spice.”
On Wolves…
“They’re one of the teams in the league that are tough to beat. You look at their last few seasons in this league and they’ve been the team that all promoted sides are trying to emulate.”
“They’ve lost some big players with Jota going to Liverpool and Raul Jimenez with the unfortunate head injury. They’re still a very good team with some very good players.”
“It’s always a concern that a team who very rarely gets beat by that margin will be smarting and looking forward to this game to put things right.”
FORM:
Wolverhampton Wanderers Premier League form: DWLDWL
Aston Villa Premier League form: WLLWLL
LINEUPS:
Wolverhampton Wanderers possible starting lineup:
Patricio; Semedo, Boly, Coady, Marcal; Dendoncker, Neves, Moutinho; Traore, Podence, Neto
Aston Villa possible starting lineup:
Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett; McGinn, Luiz, Hourihane; Trezeguet, Watkins, Grealish
THATSAGOAL TIP:
Under 2.5 Goals – 4/5 with FanTeam.
Wolves have scored just 11 goals in 11 Premier League matches and are without their star striker, Raul Jimenez, after a very nasty looking head injury. Add to that Aston Villa’s impressive defensive record (fourth-fewest conceded in the league) and a Wolves goal-fest looks unlikely.
Thankfully, Nuno Espirito Santo’s defensive has been solid, conceding just 11 in 10 before the Liverpool defeat at the weekend. A low scoring derby is in order here.
Time to take a look at our Wolves vs Aston Villa live match stream as it happens…
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