Given that five of Wolves’ seven PL goals this term had arrived before HT, a quick start appeared essential if Rob Edwards’ side were to spring a big upset here.
And after surviving an early scare when Lucas Digne’s free-kick deflected off the bar, the visitors were arguably the more threatening side in a first half that produced very little in the way of clear-cut chances.
Jørgen Strand Larsen thought he’d broken the deadlock on the quarter-hour, but after sweeping home from Jackson Tchatchoua’s cutback, his celebrations were cut short by the offside flag as Jhon Arias had interfered with Emiliano Martínez.
Villa’s goalkeeper was the reason for parity at the break, as in the first minute of stoppage time, he saved from Strand Larsen before making a miraculous stop from the subsequent corner to tip Yerson Mosquera’s fierce header against the bar.
A subdued Villa Park atmosphere reflected the home team’s insipid performance, and things could’ve been even worse just after the restart if not for Pau Torres’ perfectly-timed sliding tackle to deny Strand Larsen a tap-in.
It looked as though it would take something special for Villa to find a breakthrough, and so it proved as Boubacar Kamara lashed into the top corner from the edge of the area.
Wolves were left feeling aggrieved given that Joao Gomes was off the pitch injured when the goal went in, but things could’ve been even worse in the immediate aftermath as John McGinn and Donyell Malen both went close to double the hosts’ advantage.
Falling behind seemed to suck the belief out of Wolves, who succumbed to a sixth PL away defeat of the season, all of which came without reply.
Their relegation seems inevitable with a nine-point gap to safety, though they can take solace from the fact that none of the four sides above them won this weekend either. Villa, meanwhile, move into the top three, if only temporarily, thanks to an eighth successive victory on home turf.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)
