Aston Villa vs Wolves Preview & Prediction | 2024-25 English Premier League
Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
After wins against Everton (Premier League) and Young Boys (UEFA Champions League) over the past week, in-form Aston Villa welcome west midland rivals Wolves to Villa Park.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Saturday 21st September, 2024: UK – 3:00pm / US ET – 10:00am / US PT – 7:00am
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – Not televised / US – Peacock Premium
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – Cannot be streamed / US – Peacock digital channels
ASTON VILLA PREVIEW: POSITIVE WEEK FOR EMERY'S MEN
Aston Villa are once again looking like a force to be reckoned with this season with Unai Emery's men having won four of their five competitive games in 2024-25. Last Saturday's Premier League encounter saw them win 3-2 after going two goals down against Everton, with super sub Jhon Duran scoring an sensational winner to continue his excellent form off the bench.
The Villans followed that up with a fine 0-3 win away at Young Boys, in what was their first foray into the top level of European football since the 1982-83 season.
WOLVES PREVIEW: NIGHTMARE FIXTURE RUN
In contrast to their midland rivals, Wolves endured a tough week having lost to Newcastle last Sunday having led with 15 minutes to go, while they were eliminated from the League Cup on Wednesday when they went down 3-2 to fellow Premier League outfit Brighton.
In fairness to Wolves, they have had arguably the toughest fixture run of all Premier League teams so far, but they have very little to show for their efforts with Gary O'Neil's men having collected just a single point so far.
ASTON VILLA TEAM NEWS: WATKINS AVAILABLE
Unai Emery could stick with the same starting line-up for a third game running although Jhon Duran surely deserves a start sooner or later. Summer signing Ian Maatsen is also waiting in the wings with the left-back yet to start for his new club.
Tyrone Mings, Matty Cash, Boubacar Kamara and Jaden Philogene are Emery's injured players at the moment, with Ollie Watkins ready to play despite a sustaining a small knock against Young Boys.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Bogarde, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Onana, Tielemans; McGinn, Rogers, Ramsey; Watkins
UNAVAILABLE: Mings (Injured), Cash (Injured), Kamara (Injured), Philogene (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
WOLVES TEAM NEWS: TOTI GOMES & AIT-NOURI DOUBTFUL
Toti Gomes and Rayan Ait-Nouri have not done a great deal of training this week and could miss out, while it has been confirmed that Boubacar Traore will be absent for at least three months with a knee injury.
Enso Gonzalez and Sasa Kalajdzic are the other two confirmed absentees, while summer signing Bastien Meupiyou is unlikely to be ready yet.
PREDICTED XI (4-4-1-1): Johnstone; Semedo, Mosquera, Dawson, Doherty; Lemina, Andre, Joao Gomes, Bellegarde; Cunha; Strand Larsen
UNAVAILABLE: Enso Gonzalez (Injured), Traore (Injured), Kalajdzic (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE: Meupiyou (Injured), Toti (Injured), Ait-Nouri (Injured)
ASTON VILLA VS WOLVES PREDICTION
This particular west midlands derby has been a tight affair over the past two seasons, with the last four meetings between the two each producing under three goals. This one could buck the trend however, as Villa are starting to find the net with regularity, while only bottom-side Everton have conceded more goals than Wolves heading into the weekend's fixtures. With this in mind, in-form Villa can be fancied to claim the three points in a game featuring over 2.5 goals.
ASTON VILLA VS WOLVES TIP: ASTON VILLA TO WIN & OVER 2.5 GOALS
