Wolves continued their charge for a Premier League top-four finish as Leander Dendoncker’s second-half strike earned them victory at under-pressure Aston Villa.

The visitors, surprisingly, only managed two efforts on goal but they made it count with their second when the Belgium midfielder made a foray forward before striking low past Orjan Nyland.

It is now three wins out of three following the restart and Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are fifth on 52 points with Chelsea, above them on 54, in their sights.

As for Dean Smith’s men, they remain in 19th with 27 points. A draw could have lifted them out of the bottom three, which was as much as they looked like achieving at Villa Park.

Jack Grealish’s first-half low, driven effort was their only shot on target.

Even when the most potent pair do not combine for a goal, they still manage to influence the outcome.

The partnership of Adama Traore and Raul Jimenez has provided 10 goals in the league this season, but for the only goal at Villa Park, their mere presence together had a impact.

Four Villa players surrounded the pair on the left side of the pitch before Jimenez dug out a ball into the area which resulted in Dendoncker’s strike. Traore had only been on the pitch for two minutes at that stage with Nuno electing to rest the Spaniard, taking into account the busy schedule.

The only other clear opportunity for Nuno’s men came when the ball fell to Diogo Jota who elected power instead of accuracy after the ball slipped out of Nyland’s hand as he attempted to find a team-mate.

As an attacking force the visitors were not at their most threatening but a solid defensive display, led by the impressive Willy Boly, meant they did not have to change gears.

Worrying signs from ineffective Villa

Smith will not need reminding that time is running out. With Liverpool and then Manchester United on the horizon, Villa’s position could fast become that little bit more precarious.

It has been a season of taking one step forward and two steps back for the promoted side. Following the boost from earning a deserved point at St James’ Park in midweek, they perhaps should have taken the initiative against a Wolves side not at their most cavalier.

Villa had enough of the possession around the area, but their movement was ponderous at times and the Wolves back line easily dealt with the tame deliveries.

Understandably, they looked to Grealish - their conductor in attack and top scorer with nine goals - to create opportunities, and he impressed again. There was one dazzling moment of skill in the first half when he tip-toed past challenges on the left before winning a corner, and he also tested the palms of Rui Patricio with a low, firm shot.

In the build-up to this match, Smith said that his side needed to be more clinical, but they did not appear to heed those words. Neither of the strike-force of Mbwana Samatta and Keinan Davis got much service nor did they look like much of a threat.

Grealish cannot get them out of this position alone - his team-mates need to urgently step up.
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*The Guardian*
*Saturday, 27 June 2020*

Aston Villa survival hopes suffer further blow as Dendoncker nets Wolves winner

These Wolves belong in high-class company. Nuno Espírito Santo’s team climbed to fifth in the table thanks to Leander Dendoncker’s crisply struck goal here, closing to within four points of Chelsea in the chase for Champions League qualification. Aston Villa, meanwhile, remain in deep peril at the other end, in 19th position having played a game more than their rivals. Next on the agenda for them? Liverpool away and Manchester United at home.

Dean Smith spent much of the lockdown trying to mend Villa’s rickety defence and they have certainly looked more secure since the restart. But that improvement came at the expense of attacking menace and the chances of Villa grinding their way to survival never looked bright. So even if there were no fans present to demand boldness in this West Midlands derby, Smith opted for a theoretically more adventurous approach here, deploying two strikers and a midfield diamond with Jack Grealish at its apex. As a result, Villa’s default setting was not as deep as in their recent outings and they played slightly more of the game in the opposing half. But creativity was grievously lacking and penetration still looked beyond them.

Rui Patrício was not forced into a save until the 37th minute, when he stopped a testing low shot from the left-hand corner of the box by Grealish.

The goalkeeper would have had to surpass that feat just before the break if not for a superb sliding tackle by Jonny, who blocked a shot by Conor Hourihane after a perfect tee-up by Grealish.

Wolves, however, had come closer to opening the scoring before that despite VIlla’s defensive improvement. In the 19th minute Ørjan Nyland needed two attempts to stifle the danger after a near-post header by Raúl Jiménez following a clipped free-kick from the right by João Moutinho. Five minutes later Matt Doherty loped down the same side, used Diogo Jota as a decoy and darted into the box, riding Marvelous Nakamba’s tackle with the help of a favourable ricochet. Feeling his luck was in, Doherty chose not to eschew options in the centre and shot from a difficult angle. He blasted into the side-netting.

Too often this season Villa have been at their most vulnerable when seemingly out of harm’s way, with sudden individual mistakes a painful affliction. So it was not bizarre but not particularly surprising, in the 42nd minute, to see Nyland attempt to throw the ball to a teammate but instead fumbled it to Diogo Jota instead. Mercifully for Villa’s keeper, the forward’s first-time shot from 20 yard flew over the bar.

The first 15 minutes of the second half were notable only for their listlessness. On the plus side, there could hardly have been better scene-setting for the arrival of Adama Traoré, whose introduction on the hour promised a shift into turbo drive. Two minutes later, Wolves took the lead thanks to a rapid counterattack.

Traoré was inevitably involved, he and Jiménez combining on the left wing before the striker delivered a cross. Jonny received it and laid it off to Dendoncker at the edge of the area, leaving the Belgian to rasp a low shot into the bottom corner.
Dendoncker had an opportunity to double his tally five minutes later but shunted the ball wide of the back post after meeting a corner.

Villa were ominously blunt. Their striking duo, Keinan Davis and Mbawna Samatta, toiled in vain, getting no change out of Wolves’ defenders and paltry service from their teammates. The hosts did press back their visitors as the game wore on but never made them truly uncomfortable. Jonny made another important block in the 73rd minute to foil Grealish.

When Anwar El Ghazi, introduced in place of Davis, deposited an inviting cross to the back post in the 84th minute, no Villa player was on hand to take advantage. Thus Wolves have beaten Villa home and away in a top-fight season for the first time since 1962-63. They might not get a chance to do it again next season.