After a week of celebrating the sublime victory over Manchester City, Wolverhampton Wanderers are back in action in the Premier League as the Old Gold host Midlands rivals Aston Villa this afternoon.
The stage is set at Molineux for another test for Gary O’Neil’s side to face, with Unai Emery’s in-form Villans set to pose a huge threat for the squad to battle.
If there’s one element that Wolves won't be short of, it’s confidence, following the heroic 2-1 win over Pep Guardiola’s treble winners last weekend.
Villa will take the 21-mile trip to Wolverhampton also full of morale, after demolishing Brighton 6-1 in their previous Premier League fixture, setting the scene for a feisty affair in the Midlands.
What is the latest Wolves team news?
After the victory over Manchester City, Tommy Doyle will most likely re-enter the frame in some capacity against Villa, after being ineligible to play against his parent club last weekend.
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde made an encouraging start to life at Molineux after signing on deadline day, however, the Frenchman’s progression was brought to a halt as he was sent off against Luton Town.
The midfielder was handed a three-match ban, and will subsequently be out of action against the Villans.
With no fresh injuries to report, O’Neil will look to field his strongest side in the bid to break down Emery’s constantly progressing side, with a host of notable talents having the potential to cause the Spaniard some problems.
With the combination of Pedro Neto and Hee Chan Hwang already causing havoc this term, Wolves must produce again and take their chances to keep the ball rolling after a difficult summer.
It’s not just the forwards who could cause Villa issues, with O’Neil’s full-backs emerging as added threats on the flanks.
What problems could Nelson Semedo cause Aston Villa?
One player who has risen to the occasion this season is Nelson Semedo, who has faced a fair amount of criticism since arriving in England from Barcelona back in 2020.
The right-back was praised heavily by former Wolves midfielder Dave Edwards, who told Express and Star that he thought the £80k-per-week Portuguese defender had topped his previous performances with his “best game” against City last week.
Against City, the former Barcelona ace highlighted just why he is the first choice in the position, providing added support going forward on the overlap with Neto, and being solid in defence.
As per Sofascore, Semedo recorded four clearances, three interceptions and three tackles against the treble winners, earning an impressive 7.1 match rating for his efforts.
One area that is questionably a weak spot for Villa is the left side of defence, with Lucas Digne being described as “poor” for his defensive contributions at times in claret and blue by journalist Luis Miguel Echegaray.
In the league this season, Wolves’ star right-back has averaged a successful dribble rate of 67%, suggesting just how he could expose Digne when supporting the attack on the right side.
As displayed against City, O’Neil has found sanctuary in Joao Gomes’ midfield presence, with the Brazilian covering the absence of Semedo at the back when the 29-year-old ventures forward.
With Neto in fine form and supported by the expertise of the former La Liga star, Wolves could have discovered the combination to unlock Villa’s sometimes frail left-back.