💥 | 1’ A resplendent Villa Park is awash with emotion as we say goodbye to Gary Shaw, his regular seat empty save for his European Cup winning shirt
💥 | 3’ Villa suddenly at sixes and sevens at the back after a bright start
🆘 | 6’ Alt-Nouri booked for a cynical pull back on Konsa to prevent a break
💥 | 8’ A minute of applause rings out in honour of Gary Shaw
🆘 | 11’ Another rough house foul from Wolves, free kick but no card
🆘 | 13’ Ollie Watkins mistimes his sliding tackle to give Wolves a free kick in the centre of the park… cue more time wasting from the visitors
🆘 | 14’ The game still hasn’t restarted as the injured player does not leave the field and return to play per the rules
🆘 | 15’ Another Wolves foul, this time Semedo on Ramsey, another free kick in the centre of the park, Wolves are strangling the game of fluidity
🆘 | 15’ And again, Semedo on Ramsey, a booking and another free kick in the centre of the park
💥 | 17’ Wolves corner, it’s clear how they’ve set up to play, tackle to the limit and wait for a set piece chance. Villa need the ball to create some momentum.
🗒️ | 20’ A poor first 20 minutes of football elapses, credit to Wolves, their game plan is ugly but working
🆘 | 20’ Yet another foul, push in the back on Watkins and a free kick opportunity wasted through hesitancy. It’s just not flowing at the minute.
🗒️ | 22’ Villa looking really uncertain at the back when Wolves come long, we desperately need some extended possession
🥅 | 24’ Goal, 0-1, (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Matheus Cunha. Carlos gives the ball away and an unstoppable shot beats Martínez, Villa have been really poor, totally sucked into Wolves game plan
🆘 | 26’ Another shocking foul from Wolves, this time on Digne from Gomes, the referee needs to get a grip here, booked
🚑 | 27’ Digne in real pain and still down, unlike on 14’ the referee orders him off the pitch
🟨 | 28’ Booking, Pau Torres for remonstrating with the referee about the frequency and severity of Wolves’ fouls
💥 | 29’ Craig Dawson runs through a passive Villa midfield
💥 | 29’ Another strong Wolves ball into the box is cleared by Onana but Villa are second best all over the pitch at present
💥 | 30’ Another simple, effective long ball to the wing from Wolves, another good ball in, another mix up in the box and how are the visitors not two up. We’ve just seen the worst 30’ of the season from Villa.
❗| 33’ Villa break through John McGinn but in contrast to Wolves there is no composure in the box, chance wasted
❗| 34’ Villa break, Rogers to Watkins, Wolves block with ease
❗| 35’ Tielemans to McGinn, shot, again Wolves block with ease
🗒️ | 36’ Credit to Wolves, their discipline without the ball is strong, banked lines preventing any Villa fluidity, everything is being rushed and Villa just cannot get a foot hold
🆘 | 37’ Two Wolves fouls in quick succession on Tielemans then Torres and the referee belatedly whistles before Wolves easily defend a break from Rogers
🗒️ | 38’ McGinn pirouettes to start another break but there is so little space as Onana tries to lift the crowd, Villa are subdued on and off the pitch.
💥 | 40’ Brilliant tackle from Digne prevents another Wolves break before Rogers cedes possession to allow Wolves to run down the clock over a deep free kick
💥 | 42’ A long ball sees Wolves break and Martínez has to get down and save, Villa immediately surrender possession
💥 | 43’ Wolves slip the ball into the Villa box and it is all too easy for the visitors
💥 | 44’ Again Wolves walk the ball into the Villa box and a lucky block puts the ball out for a corner. Dawson has a free header in the box but wastes it.
🗒️ | 45’ 5’ of injury time is shown, Villa need to not concede again before half time but Wolves are so on top they break again with Villa simply flailing
🆘 | 45’+1 Good feet from Tielemans releases McGinn before yet another Wolves foul puts him on the deck before another Wolves player boot hits the captain. No action from the referee. But McGinn remains down.
🆘 | 45’+3 Play restarts with Wolves in possession and McGinn off the pitch, Villa are down to 10 men
❗| 45’+5 A loose ball almost breaks for Watkins as the last man blocks with ease before another slack piece of play from Rogers allows Wolves in.
🆘 | 45’+6 A truly woeful 45’ from Villa ends. With John McGinn, the only player playing anywhere near his level, injured and a doubt for the second half.
🕒 | 45’+6 HT Aston Villa 0-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers
🔁 | 46’ Sub off, Lucas Digne, Sub on, Ian Maatsen
🔁 | 46’ Sub off, John McGinn, Sub on, Leon Bailey
🆘 | 46’ Bailey breaks, Alt-Nouri deliberately flails his arm into the Jamaican’s face, the referee doesn’t act, VAR doesn’t intervene despite the replays showing it was an entirely voluntary movement by the Wolves play
🚑 | 47’ Bailey remains down as the concussion checks continue, this could be an immediate sub of the sub
🚑 | 48’ Bailey still down, the replay agains shows the deliberate nature of the elbow
🚑 | 49’ Bailey leaves the pitch with Ian Maatsen over the resultant free kick, the ball goes straight through the crowd of players, great delivery
🚑 | 50’ Bailey remains off the pitch, Villa are down to 10 men as Rogers concedes a free kick
🆘 | 51’ Bailey resumes before Onana’s tackle upends a Wolves player in the centre circle. Incredibly the visiting fans boo the referee for not producing a card.
🗒️ | 52’ Tielemans and Ramsey cannot get the ball from under their feet as Onana commits another clumsy challenge
❗| 53’ Bailey bamboozles Wolves in the box but it goes out fro a goal kick
🆘 | 54’ A hugely fortunate bounce sets Wolves free before a dive by the Wolves player is deemed a foul against Tielemans
💥 | 55’ Wolves finally take the free kick after wasting 90 seconds before an aimless ball up the field sees Wolves regain possession.
💥 | 56’ Wolves have sucked all the space out of this game and Villa simply don’t know how to break through.
💥 | 60’ It’s difficult to overstate just how poor Villa have been in these first 60’
🆘 | 61’ Yet another terrible Wolves challenge delivers a deserved yellow card
🔁 | 62’ Sub off, Amadou Onana, Sub on, Ross Barkley
🔁 | 62’ Sub off, Jacob Ramsey, Sub on, Jhon Durán
❗| 62’ Chance! Rogers’ quick feet nearly catches out Wolves in the box before Barkley’s goal bound shot is fortunately blocked by the Wolves defender
🆘 | 64’ Wolves waste another 90 seconds over a substitution and the referee books Unai Emery for aiming his complaints, Sean Derry goes in the book too.
💥 | 66’ Wolves break, Villa’s defence errs again and more composure could have seen the visitors two up
❗| 67’ Chance! Wolves clear an Ollie Watkins header off the line with Johnstone totally beaten. Villa so not look like they will be able to make the breakthrough today.
🗒️ | 69’ Villa with their longest spell of possession in the game but there is no cutting edge before another sloppy Carlos pass cedes possession again
❗| 69’ Chance! Jhon Durán heads over
❗| 71’ Chance! A Wolves error sees Johnstone have to run out of his box and make a desperate clearance as Villa threaten to break clear with an unguarded net ahead
⚽ | 73’ Goal!, 1-1, Ollie Watkins, Assist by Morgan Rogers. Villa’s haphazard pressure finally pays off.
🆘 | 73’ Another ridiculous Wolves challenge, this time on goalscorer Watkins, sees the offender prostrate on the ground.
🟨 | 75’ Booking, Morgan Rogers for an alleged foul as he ran across the defender’s path
🚑 | 76’ The Wolves played remains down, this has now been 3 minutes.
🚑 | 78’ A stretcher is on, 5 minutes wasted
🚑 | 80’ Still no play
🚑 | 81’ Finally the Wolves player is removed from the pitch
🆘 | 81’ Wolves find now is the right time to make their sub for a player for whom a stretcher appeared 3 minutes earlier
🚑 | 82’ Play restarts after a 9’ delay with a Villa free kick
🆘 | 82’ Immediately Wolves foul again to leave Jhon Durán on the deck
🆘 | 84’ The referee finally allows Villa to take the free kick, that’s 1 minute of play in the last 11.
🆘 | 85’ Another Wolves foul leaves the Villa player flat out on the touchline
❗| 86’ Chance! A huge scramble in the box but no Villa player can get a clean touch to tuck the ball away
⚽ | 88’ Goal!, 2-1, Ezri Konsa, Assist by Youri Tielemans, Ezri with an outstanding finish at the back post from a wonderful Tielemans cross
🆘 | 90’ The fourth official signals 13’ of injury time. Gary O’Neil complains. Odd that.
🗒️ | 90’+2 Wolves, so disciplined in the first half, are much more ragged now
⚽ | 90’+4 Goal!, 3-1, Jhon Durán, Assist by Morgan Rogers A simply beautiful move, thuggery vs. Ballet as Wolves continue their hatchet men tactics, Villa finally play around them, Maatsen to Rogers to Duran, end of story
🗒️ | 90’+5 Unsurprisingly Villa Park is rocking and for all that was truly insipid in the first half, since the turn of the hour they have been back playing at their true level. Meanwhile the once noisy Wolves fans are streaming out.
🗒️ | 90’+7 Magnificent defending by Maatsen to prevent a Wolves tap in, what a 45’ he has had, undoubtedly his best so far
🔁 | 90’+9 Sub off, Ollie Watkins, Sub on, Emiliano Buendía
🆘 | 90’+9 Duran is left flat on his face by another Wolves foul
🟨 | 90’+10 Booking, Ross Barkey, for a foul he did not make, Cuhna then picks up a card for complaining.
🗒️ | 90’+12 Wolves cannot get the ball off Villa, a total reversal
🕒 | 90’+13 FT Aston Villa 3-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers