Aston Villa return to Premier League action 13 days following their 1-1 draw against West Ham United prior to the international break.
Unai Emery’s side had to come from behind to secure a share of the spoils, but it was certainly a point gained, especially following their exploits in Europe three days earlier, defeating Ajax 4-0 in the Conference League.
For the West Ham clash, Emery mixed up his starting XI, giving starts to the likes of Jhon Duran and Morgan Rogers, yet both players failed to really make an impact during the game.
The Spaniard will likely stick with the 4-4-2 formation for the clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers this evening, as it offers the best chance of securing a win with the players at his disposal.
Villa have failed to beat Wolves in the Premier League since December 2020, drawing three and losing three of their six matches since.
With this in mind, here’s a look at the starting XI that Emery could unleash at Villa Park later today in what promises to be an exciting match…
1GK – Emiliano Martínez
The goalkeeper featured once for Argentina during the international break, keeping a clean sheet against El Salvador, before being rested for the win over Costa Rica.
This should mean he is fresh ahead of the tie against Wolves and the former Arsenal man will be aiming to keep just his 13th clean sheet of the current campaign.
2RB – Ezri Konsa
Matty Cash will be out injured for the next three weeks having sustained a hamstring injury during Poland’s Euro 2024 playoff victory over Estonia.
This could see him miss a few Premier League matches, plus the upcoming Europa Conference League quarter-final ties. Emery will therefore have to call upon Ezri Konsa to replace the right-back.
The Englishman has played on the right side of the defence on 15 occasions this season, indicating that he will be comfortable in the position against Wolves.
3CB – Pau Torres
The Spaniard has enjoyed a solid debut campaign for Villa since making the move from Villarreal last summer.
Against Ajax, he was in particular fine form. Not only did he win 100% of his ground duels, but the defender completed 87% of his passes while losing possession just eight times in what was a commanding display.
4CB – Clement Lenglet
Having barely had a look in prior to the festive season, Lenglet has now started the previous 12 Premier League matches.
He will make it a 13th consecutive start against Wolves, especially since Konsa is being moved to the right side of the defence in order to cover for Cash’s injury.
Villa have conceded 21 goals during Lenglet’s spell in the starting XI, keeping just two clean sheets, which is something that needs work going forward.
5LB – Alex Moreno
The Spaniard started the clash against West Ham a few weeks ago and delivered a decent performance which will allow him to retain his place today.
He won 50% of his total duels contested, made two clearances while succeeding with one of his two dribble attempts, showcasing his abilities across both defensive and attacking metrics
6RM – Leon Bailey
The former Bayer Leverkusen winger is one of the most improved players in this Villa squad under Emery, taking his game to a new level.
Last season, he registered nine goal contributions across all competitions. This season, however, the 26-year-old has registered 23 – 12 goals and 11 assists – with plenty of games remaining to bump this figure up.
He will be deployed on the right side of a four-man midfield against Wolves and could relish coming up against Rayan Ait-Nouri and Toti Gomes in the Wolves side.
7CM – Douglas Luiz
Bailey is not the only midfielder contributing effectively towards the Villa attack this season, as Luiz has also been in particular fine form in front of goal.
In 42 games across all competitions, the Brazilian gem has scored ten times along with grabbing ten assists, adding something extra from the heart of the midfield.
8CM – Youri Tielemans
Due to John McGinn’s red card against Tottenham Hotspur a few weeks ago, he will miss the clash against Wolves and this could be a significant blow for Villa.
Thankfully, they have an ideal replacement in Tielemans. The Belgian dynamo has started the previous five league fixtures, grabbing an assist against Fulham.
He will prove to be a more than adequate replacement for the Scot as he will be unleashed alongside Luiz.
9LM – Nicolo Zaniolo
Morgan Rogers shone for England U21s during the international break, scoring twice against Luxembourg, yet it will be Zaniolo who comes into the starting XI after his goalscoring exploits during the last match.
The Italian scored the equaliser with just over ten minutes remaining against the Irons, securing a precious point, and he will be unleashed from the start against the Old Gold.
10ST – Moussa Diaby
Jhon Duran failed to take a single shot against West Ham, while completing just six passes, indicating that he will be dropped today.
Diaby – who was dubbed a “wildcard” by a scout during his spell with Bayer Leverkusen – will surely provide a greater attacking threat than the young Colombian.
In all competitions this season, the £130k-per-week winger has scored seven times as well as grabbing eight assists. Will he add to this tally against Wolves?
11ST – Ollie Watkins
The Englishman won his tenth and 11th caps for his country during the international break but failed to score in either fixture.
He does have 22 goals and ten assists to his name this term, enjoying arguably the season of his life and there is no doubt he will be in the England squad which travels to Germany for Euro 2024.
Can he propel Villa to a top four finish in the Premier League before then, however? If he continues this wonderful scoring run, the club could certainly win the Europa Conference League, ending their 28-year wait for a major trophy in the process.
Predicted Aston Villa XI vs Wolves in full: GK – Martinez; RB – Konsa, CB – Torres, CB – Lenglet, LB – Moreno; RM – Bailey, CM – Luiz, CM – Tielemans, LM – Zaniolo; ST – Diaby, ST – Watkins
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