Wolverhampton Wanderers handed Aston Villa a damaging derby defeat at Molineux on Friday night, with goals from Joao Gomes and Rodrigo Gomes securing a 2-0 victory that dealt a serious blow to Villa’s Champions League ambitions.
The result ends a miserable week for Unai Emery’s side, who have now won just twice in their last seven Premier League outings. Villa came into the game knowing victory would put them six points clear of the top-four chasing pack, but instead face the prospect of Manchester United overtaking them on goal difference if they beat Crystal Palace on Sunday.
For Wolves, the win couldn’t have come at a better time. Though relegation remains all but certain, the three points pushed them past Derby County’s infamous Premier League low of 11 points — a record they were in danger of equalling. Rob Edwards’ side now sit on 13 points, and the manner of the victory suggested a team rediscovering some pride ahead of a crucial final stretch of the season.
Joao Gomes broke the deadlock on 61 minutes, firing in off the bar after latching onto Adam Armstrong’s lay-off in what was the hosts’ first shot on target. Rodrigo Gomes then rubber-stamped the win deep in stoppage time, catching Villa out as they pushed desperately forward in search of an equaliser.
The full-time whistle prompted jubilant scenes at Molineux, with manager Edwards sprinting down the touchline, while the home faithful serenaded their relegation-bound heroes with a pointed chant aimed squarely at their neighbours.
The mood in the Villa camp could not have been more different. Defender Ezri Konsa was seen arguing with travelling supporters, and tensions among the players were visible too, with both Konsa and Amadou Onana seen urging Emi Buendia to leave the field more quickly during a substitution. Emery, who had flagged his poor record at Molineux earlier in the week, spent much of the evening pacing his technical area, unable to find a solution.
Villa host Chelsea on Wednesday in what is now a must-win fixture, before a Europa League trip to Lille the following week. Wolves, meanwhile, face back-to-back fixtures against Liverpool — in the Premier League and then the FA Cup fifth round — with Edwards keen to build on a win that, while unlikely to alter their fate, may shape their future.