Premier League preview: Wolves v Aston Villa
It may have only been the Carling Cup, but Gérard Houllier’s first match in charge of Aston Villa in mid-week certainly left the club’s supporters with reason to feel optimistic for the future.
The Frenchman, who was appointed manager earlier this month, turned Wednesday night’s game against Blackburn Rovers on its head after introducing Emile Heskey to the fray and then moving winger Ashley Young into a more central role.
Three second half goals from the aforementioned duo saw Villa win 3-1 on the night, as Houllier departed the bouncing Villa Park with a contented smile on his face.
However, while that was a light reintroduction to English football, his first Premier League fixture in charge of Aston Villa promises to be a baptism of fire.
West Midlands rivals Wolves are ready in waiting and will host Houllier’s side on Sunday afternoon, with a view to winning all three points.
It’s been a reasonable start for Mick McCarthy’s side following their 15th-place league finish last season. Five points from their opening five matches sees them sit one place above under-achieving Liverpool in the league table, but the fact remains that Wolves have only managed to fashion one victory so far – and that came on the opening day of the campaign against Stoke.
With a tenacious, well disciplined group of players, McCarthy has every right to believe his squad possess enough quality to seal a crucial win over their neighbours. It’s been a while since Wolves last recorded a victory against Villa, though. In fact, you have to flick back through the record books to March 1980 for the last time Wolves got the upper-hand over their rivals.
But on the evidence of last season’s meetings between the two clubs, Sunday’s fixture could prove another tight match with very little to separate the two sides.
A late penalty in both matches prevented Aston Villa and Wolves from winning all three points at their respective home grounds. Sylvan Ebanks-Blake salvaged a point at the Molineux, while in the corresponding fixture at Villa Park, John Carew fired in a late spot-kick to seal a draw for Martin O’Neill’s side.
On both occasions, either side could easily have grabbed all three points. And as a result, Wolves will be confident of ending their 30-year winless run against their rivals this weekend.
But the unpredictable nature of Villa means that they could also easily escape from the Molineux on Sunday with maximum points in the bag. At their best this season, the Villains have been superb. A thoroughly deserved 3-0 win over West Ham on the opening day of the campaign was far and away their most impressive display - but when they’ve been bad, they’ve been utterly dreadful.
A shock 6-0 defeat against Newcastle United a month ago was a humiliating result for the Villa Park outfit, and certainly contributed to owner Randy Lerner’s decision not to offer caretaker manager Kevin MacDonald the job on a permanent basis.
They also failed to make the Europa League under MacDonald’s brief tenure after suffering defeat against Rapid Vienna in the qualifying stages, which may have come as a slight relief to Houllier, who will be able to fully focus on domestic issues.
On paper, Villa have more match-winners in their ranks than their opponents. Although how Houllier sets his stall out for Sunday’s game remains to be seen.
One thing’s for sure: McCarthy will ensure his players are up for the battle and take the game to Villa, which in turn, is likely to produce a third consecutive entertaining stalemate between the two West Midlands clubs.
Prediction: Wolves 1 Aston Villa 1
Tags: