‘I was at Wolves vs Aston Villa, and I am concerned for Unai Emery’s side’
Aston Villa remained toothless on Friday, as they fell to a 2-0 defeat against Wolves.
Familiar feelings remained in place in the Molineux away end, with the record of just one win in 14 years continuing.
Joao Gomes opened the scoring for the bottom dwellers, and while Villa piled on the pressure in the closing stages, Unai Emery’s side never really managed to threaten the leakiest backline in the Premier League.
Rodrigo Gomes would seal the win for Wolves in the final seconds, causing the away end to empty in a matter of moments.
Aston Villa have a crucial run coming up, with huge clashes against both Chelsea and Manchester United either side of the international break, and I am concerned for Emery.
Familiar feelings arise again at Molineux
Anyone associated with football in the West Midlands will know what a strange fixture Wolves versus Aston Villa is.
Irrespective of either side’s form, Wolves have had Villa’s number at Molineux across the last decade.
The familiar feelings were present all evening at Molineux. Standing outside the far-from-ideal away end in the lower tier of the Steve Bull stand, in rain that could only have been described as torrential, the match had upset written all over it.
Of course, there is never really an ‘upset’ in a local derby – but the debate as to whether this fixture is a derby or not will continue to divide both fanbases in the buildup to any clash between the two sides.
The simple verdict is that Wolves were on it, and Villa weren’t. But I can’t help but carry concern regarding the showing on the pitch.
Emery’s side were toothless and failed to threaten a side who had picked up just 10 points before Friday.
Villa registered 61 per cent possession on the night, but managed to create just two big chances, equalled by the two of Wolves that just so happened to find the back of the net.
Aside from a few digs at Wolves’ precarious placing in the division, the travelling support remained relatively quiet, while the evening ended with Ezri Konsa’s rather audacious actions in front of the supporters.
Is the level of Aston Villa’s squad catching up on Unai Emery?
It is difficult to think of managers who can boast a job similar to that of Emery’s time at Villa Park.
Guiding the club to Europe, while continuing to challenge at the top end of the league, the Spaniard has the Villa supporters in the palm of his hand.
But I can’t help thinking that the current squad at his disposal has hit a ceiling.
Seven of Villa’s starters on Friday were part of a Villa squad that couldn’t string a run of results together under Steven Gerrard, while multiple names also go back to the Dean Smith era.
Ollie Watkins looked completely lost up top, while Matty Cash and Lucas Digne continued to put in hopeful ball after hopeful ball, and the latter provided another piece of haphazard defending as he failed to stop Jackson Tchatchoua’s cross for the opening goal.
As a club with sky-high ambitions, the bar has not risen as imagined when it comes to the squad as a whole.
Big names have been and gone, with Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio moving to Barcelona and Fenerbahce following loan spells at Villa Park, while Donyell Malen was moved on after just a year in the Midlands.
Amadou Onana remains inconsistent in the middle of the park, while Villa are now back at square one, with Douglas Luiz back in the middle, who himself is far from the player he once was, a crucial cog in the revolution.
Under both Smith and Gerrard, Villa were by definition a mid-table side. Emery has done fantastically to reach the levels he has with a squad still carrying members of that group, but it is simply unsustainable in the long term.
Villa now find themselves in a Champions League race with Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool, while they face the first pair back to back in the coming weeks.
Friday’s loss was just another loss at Molineux, something that has been inevitable for over a decade now. But there are serious concerns about this squad, who need to step up massively in the coming weeks, or prepare to say goodbye to the top-five spot that once seemed an inevitability.
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