Wolves fell to yet another loss in the Premier League as they slumped out of Villa Park with a 3-1 defeat.
It was a familiar story from this season for Gary O’Neil’s side when they performed well in the first half and went into the break with a 1-0 lead.
After last Sunday’s defeat at home to Newcastle, Wolves fans would have been praying that history would not repeat itself when Matheus Cunha put the away side in front midway through the first half.
Goals from Ollie Watkins, Ezri Konsa and John Duran turned the game around for Aston Villa and it was indeed history repeating itself as Wolves fell to a losing comeback twice in one week.
It makes life a lot harder at Molineux with four defeats from five Premier League games, as well as now a derby day defeat.
Game management is poor
In five Premier League games so far, Wolves have scored to go ahead in a game just twice - the last two games.
In both of those games, they have gone on to lose after suffering late comebacks to both Newcastle and Aston Villa.
Similarly, in their first home game of the season against Chelsea, Wolves went into the break at 2-2 after a positive half, however, somehow went on to lose 6-2 in an extremely poor second-half showing.
Questions have been raised as to whether the poor game management is down to the head coach or his players; in the two recent losses, Wolves have shown similar patterns of their play breaking down that seems hard to not put it down to both parties.
O’Neil has been criticised for his in-game management after this loss with the midfield specifically, progressively losing their battle but it was not changed until the 82nd minute.
In other recent matches including Wolves’ midweek trip to Brighton, it was individual errors that was mostly to blame as well as quality taking a hit the later the game went on, but both need sorting quickly if Wolves’ game management is to improve.
Injuries continue for Yerson Mosquera
In arguably the Colombian’s best game in a Wolves shirt, he unfortunately suffered a knee injury that caused him to be stretched off in the 82nd minute, O’Neil has said he is still unaware of any confirmed injury.
The central defender put in a superb performance in defence that was strong until Watkins’ first for Villa, however after being forced off late on he may not be able to continue with good momentum.
No starting player in the match had a better pass success rate than Mosquera with 96% after averaging 85% in the Premier League this season.
He made the most clearances in the game with five - including his goal-line clearance from Watkins at 0-0 - as well as the most interceptions with three.
Since the first two matches against Arsenal and Chelsea, conceding a combined eight goals in two games, Mosquera has shown more composure as the season has gone on.
Despite no win in the Premier League yet and a potential injury to worry about, it is promising signs from the Colombian defender so far.
The formation… works
Football is a 90-minute game, however, if we eradicate the poor game management for now and focus on the positives in Wolves’ play, the first half gave great signs.
Wolves were expected to set up in a 4-3-3, however, without the ball it was different as Mario Lemina and Joao Gomes pushed up to make a quartet of pressing players with Jorgen Strand Larsen and Cunha, Lemina and Gomes both making the most tackles in the game with five each.
They suffocated Villa’s two-man midfield that usually sit deep and forced them to play wide which is not Unai Emery’s ideal game plan.
Nelson Semedo followed Morgan Rogers which meant Jean-Ricner Bellegarde filled in down the right defensively when the Portuguese right-back would be out of position.
Andre screened the defence which meant service into Watkins was limited and Villa managed just two shots in the entirity of the first half.
Is it time to talk about O’Neil’s future?
Wolves fans have been mostly reluctant to talk about the head coach’s future until recent fixtures, O’Neil directed them to safety last season and despite finishing the season poorly and in 14th, he earned enough credit to lead his squad into a second Premier League season.
In recent interviews, the head coach has expressed his views on Wolves’ opening season form as he focused on being underdogs.
Despite the underdog story having positives, Wolves fans failed to take to that reputation and instead preferred O’Neil to stay strong and expect his capable team to earn results.
It seems to split the fanbase at the minute but it is a question that will have to be brought up in conversations if the manner of Wolves’ losses continue.
