Aston Villa Stumble in Loss to WolvesAston Villa Stumble in Loss to Wolves Aston Villa’s hopes of a top-half finish suffered a setback as they slumped to a disappointing 2-1 defeat at the hands of local rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday. Wolves took the lead in the 12th minute when Daniel Podence found space in the Villa defense and fired a low shot into the bottom corner. Villa struggled to create clear-cut chances in the first half and went into the break trailing. The second half saw Villa improve slightly, but they failed to significantly test Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa. Instead, it was the hosts who doubled their lead in the 56th minute when Adama Traore burst down the right wing and crossed for Raul Jimenez to finish from close range. Villa pulled a goal back through Emiliano Buendia in the 86th minute, but it was too little too late. The visitors failed to find an equalizer and ultimately paid the price for a lackluster performance. The defeat leaves Villa 11th in the Premier League standings, nine points behind seventh-placed Brighton & Hove Albion. Manager Unai Emery will be hoping for a strong response from his team in their next match against Arsenal next weekend. Key Points: * Wolves took a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Podence and Jimenez. * Villa struggled to create chances and failed to test Sa. * Buendia scored a late consolation goal, but it was not enough to salvage a point. * Villa dropped to 11th in the Premier League standings. * Emery will be looking for a strong response in the team’s next match.
