Wolverhampton – Aston Villa: a hot derby with opposite aims 
Friday night at Molineux and the West Midlands derby throws together two clubs heading in opposite directions. Wolves, bottom of the table, are battling for pride. Aston Villa still have Champions League qualification in their sights. On paper it looks one-sided… but local derbies rarely obey the script.
Wolverhampton: doomed but scrappy 
A narrow defeat at Crystal Palace (1-0) and yet Wolves keep showing fight. They’d held Arsenal at Molineux recently too — proof they haven’t folded despite the mess. The hard truth is in the numbers: one win in 28 league games, 10 points, a gulf to safety. Relegation looks all but certain.
Their attack has been the main problem with only 18 goals this season, though there’s been a faint uptick lately. One positive: Wolves often bother Villa at home — four wins in the last six meetings and no home defeat to them since 2020.
Aston Villa: pressure to secure Europe 
Villa have slowed slightly but they’re still sitting snugly in the top spots. Tammy Abraham’s late equaliser at Leeds (1-1) saved them a shock. Unai Emery’s side have taken one win from their last five in all competitions and Manchester United are breathing down their necks, three points adrift. Chelsea and Liverpool are still threats.
On the road, Villa are solid — the third best away record in the league. Facing the worst home side in the Premier League, it’s the ideal chance to lock in a European spot before two big tests against Chelsea and United.
Likely line-ups
Wolverhampton: Sa ; Mosquera, S Bueno, Toti ; Tchatchoua, Bellegarde, Andre, H Bueno ; A Gomes, Armstrong, Mane
Aston Villa: Martinez ; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Maatsen ; Onana, Luiz ; Bailey, Rogers, Buendia ; Watkins
Football Prediction Wolverhampton vs Aston Villa
Aston Villa to win
This derby should be tight — Wolves have heart despite everything. But Villa’s quality as a unit and the European prize should tell. They don’t need to dazzle; they just need to take the three precious points.
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