Wolverhampton Wanderers secured a vital 2-0 victory over Aston Villa at Molineux Stadium, a result that lifted them out of the Premier League relegation zone. Goals from Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Matheus Cunha proved decisive, while Villa's performance was hampered by a series of missed opportunities and the injury of key forward Ollie Watkins, who was substituted at half-time due to a groin issue, as reported by Sky Sports.
From the outset, Wolves displayed a determined and aggressive approach. Bellegarde opened the scoring early, confidently slotting the ball past Villa's goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez after receiving a precise pass from Pablo Sarabia. The home side maintained control throughout the first half and appeared poised to extend their lead. However, Cunha squandered a golden one-on-one opportunity, and Goncalo Guedes failed to convert three separate chances, leaving Wolves with only a single goal advantage at the interval.
Aston Villa, already reeling from the recent transfer of Jhon Duran to Saudi Arabia, faced additional challenges following Watkins' departure. Under the management of Unai Emery, the team seemed sluggish, likely feeling the effects of a demanding schedule that included recent Champions League matches. In a bid to revitalise their performance, Villa made four substitutions at half-time, notably introducing Donyell Malen in place of Watkins.
Shortly after the break, Malen thought he had levelled the score, but his effort was disallowed for offside, as Morgan Rogers was deemed to have interfered with Nelson Semedo. This disallowed goal represented Villa's closest opportunity to equalise, with their only other notable chance coming in the dying minutes when Wolves' goalkeeper Jose Sa thwarted Malen once again.
With this crucial win, Wolves now find themselves two points clear of the relegation zone, much to the satisfaction of manager Vitor Pereira, who praised his team's performance. Conversely, Aston Villa's aspirations to close the gap on the top four were severely hindered, as they struggled to respond effectively throughout the match. The defeat serves as a reminder of the challenges Villa must overcome as they seek to regain their momentum in the league.