Wolves shock Villa as Emerys side have a Champions League headache | OneFootball

I say shock but I don’t think I was shocked by the result or the performance. For some reason, Wolves seem to have Villa’s card marked when they go to Molineux. Both their fans and their players raise their game when Villa come to town. Unai Emery’s side have failed to win at Molineux since 2020 and with our record following Champions League games this season, it was always likely to be a very difficult task.

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Villa’s defensive crisis was clear to see when the teamsheet was released yesterday. Matty Cash and Tyrone Mings have joined Pau Torres on the treatment table while Diego Carlos departed earlier this month when he joined Fenerbahçe.

Emery stuck with Boubacar Kamara to partner Ezri Konsa in the centre of midfield, while Andrés García was handed his debut. Lamare Bogarde was picked in midfield as Amadou Onana returned to the bench following injury.

It didn’t take long for the home side to take the lead through Jean-Ricner Bellegarde after 12 minutes. He was played through, beating Kamara to the ball before scoring at the near post, a goal Emi Martinez would have been unhappy about.

Wolves grew in confidence and should have doubled their lead when Matheus Cunha won the ball off Kamara and broke through only to be denied by Martinez when he looked certain to score.

Another big chance followed, the theme of the day when Bellegarde played the ball through for Gonçalo Guedes who beat Villa’s high line but he pulled his effort wide of the goal. Guedes had another chance moments later when Jacob Ramsey lost the ball but this time he did find the target but Martinez was equal to his effort.

Emery made four changes at half-time as Donyell Malan, Ian Maatsen, Leon Bailey and Onana replaced Ollie Watkins, Lucas Digne, Jacob Ramsey and García.

And the changes looked to have paid off when Villa had the ball in the back of the net. Bailey played a short ball from a free-kick to John McGinn who squared the ball and Malan was the first place to react to pull the game level.

However, VAR got involved and ruled the goal out through Morgan Rogers being offside to everyone’s amazement. Yet another controversial decision by the PGMOL.

Malan then forced a save out of Josa Sa when he unleashed an effort from the edge of the box and the Portuguese keeper was able to keep it out of his net. The former Dortmund man was in again moments later but once again Sa was equal to the effort.

But Wolves eventually scored a second to wrap up all three points through Cunha seven minutes into added-on time.