Preview: Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. Aston Villa - prediction, team news, lineups

While Wolves were demolished by Brighton & Hove Albion and remain shy of the magical 40-point mark, Villa's loss at Old Trafford halted their surge towards the European places.

Match preview

Conceding six goals in a competitive game for the first time for 11 years - and the first time in league football since 2007 - Wolves became Brighton's latest victims last Saturday, leaving them on 37 points in the Premier League table and yet to ensure safety.

Within half an hour, Julen Lopetegui's men found themselves three goals down at the Amex Stadium, and they simply could not stem the tide; going on to be embarrassed by a dominant home side.

As trips to Manchester United and Arsenal are still to come on Wanderers' fixture list, even a seven-point buffer does not guarantee their top-flight place for next season, so Lopetegui will require his team to recover quickly and prove a point against their near neighbours.

Since the Basque coach arrived in England at the end of last year, Molineux has become a tougher venue for away teams to visit, and Wolves have beaten both Brentford and Crystal Palace 2-0 there in their two most recent home matches.

Notwithstanding the painful nature of their reverse to Brighton, which ended April on a down note, it was just a second defeat in six games and could soon be seen as an aberration if they revert to previous form this weekend.

Unbeaten in their last four encounters with Aston Villa - including a 1-1 draw in January's reverse fixture - Wolves were 2-1 winners when the sides last met in Wolverhampton, just over a year ago, and a repeat result would surely wrap up survival.

Having pulled some 17 points clear of their fellow Midlands club following a spectacular surge up the table, Villa will kick off Saturday's game seven spots above their 14th-placed opponents in the Premier League pecking order.

However, they suffered an increasingly rare setback last time out at Manchester United, when they arrived in the northwest as one of their hosts' closest challengers for Champions League qualification - with only six points separating the sides.

Ultimately beaten by a Bruno Fernandes goal scored shortly before the interval, Villa's 10-game unbeaten run - which saw them collect an impressive 26 points in the process - was, though, finally ended.

It was also the first time the Birmingham club had failed to score under the reign of Unai Emery, who like Lopetegui hails from the Spanish province of Gipuzkoa, but the form of Ollie Watkins, Jacob Ramsey, et al. has already salvaged some pride from what had been a stuttering campaign.

Though they have played more matches than both Brighton and Liverpool - two direct rivals for a top-five finish - Villa remain in the mix for at least a Europa Conference League place next season, so they will certainly not lack motivation in this clash between two regional rivals.

Wolverhampton Wanderers Premier League form:

D

W

W

L

W

L

Aston Villa Premier League form:

W

W

W

D

W

L

Team News

After some unexpected selections at Brighton spectacularly backfired, Julen Lopetegui may name a more familiar lineup on Saturday, with Matheus Cunha among those likely to be recalled to the Wolves team.

Diego Costa should lead the line, linking up with Cunha in the final third, while Pablo Sarabia and Hwang Hee-chan are strong contenders to add more width to the home side's setup.

Long-term absentees Chiquinho and Sasa Kalajdzic remain unavailable, while right-back Nelson Semedo is a major doubt after being forced off by a knee problem. Midfielder Boubacar Traore is closing in on a return after his long absence with a groin injury but may not feature just yet.

Unai Emery, meanwhile, named an unchanged team for a fourth successive game at Old Trafford, though he may now consider resting some weary limbs and promoting Lucas Digne, Diego Carlos or even Bertrand Traore to the starting XI.

Boubacar Kamara (ankle), Leon Bailey (hamstring), Matty Cash (calf) and Philippe Coutinho (thigh) are all back in training, though none are set to be involved at Molineux.

Up front, top scorer Ollie Watkins has scored in six of his last eight games on the road, and he will link up with Emiliano Buendia once again.

Wolverhampton Wanderers possible starting lineup:

Sa; Semedo, Dawson, Kilman, Bueno; Hwang, Neves, Lemina, Sarabia; Cunha, Costa

Aston Villa possible starting lineup:

Martinez; Young, Konsa, Mings, Moreno; Dendoncker, Luiz; McGinn, Buendia, Ramsey; Watkins

We say: Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-1 Aston Villa

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