Analysis: Nightmare derby defeat turns up the heat on Aston Villa

A day which could have seen Dean Smith’s climb to 13th in the table with a victory, ended with a deserved defeat which left them 17th and with a fortnight to stew before Newcastle arrive at Villa Park, for a Monday night match which now takes on considerably more importance.

It is followed by a daunting schedule which takes in trips to Manchester United and Chelsea, before a home match with Leicester.

For all the plaudits which greeted their performances against Manchester City and Liverpool in recent weeks and for all that it is far too soon to panic – they are only six points short of fifth – Villa nevertheless find themselves on a three-game losing streak and under pressure to ensure they do not enter the festive period firmly among the strugglers.

Certainly, they cannot afford too many more performances such as that seen in the first-half at Molineux.

It was, all told, a thoroughly befuddling display – with the visitors completely failing to match the desire or intensity of the hosts.

By the break, Villa were fortunate to only be trailing to Ruben Neves’s 41st-minute strike, such was the gulf.

The worst display since January was how Smith chose to describe it and there could be few arguments. Doubly frustrating for the boss was that by the finish, he was left wondering whether his team might have taken a point - albeit one that would have been undeserved - after an improved second-half showing aided by Wolves’ profligacy.

Yet while Villa matched the home side for determination in the second period, they never found the composure which might have seen them draw level.

Instead, Adama Traore – a player transformed from his days in claret and blue – broke away with six minutes remaining to set up Raul Jimenez for a goal which meant Trezeguet’s strike, deep into stoppage time, came as merely a consolation.

You could easily make the argument Villa should be thankful for escaping with merely a 2-1 defeat.

There were certainly times in the opening half when they looked destined to suffer far worse. Almost right from kick-off there was a sense this might be one of those afternoons when everything which could go wrong, would go wrong.

Already without Jack Grealish, Bjorn Engels and Tom Heaton, Villa lost back-up goalkeeper Jed Steer after just eight minutes. Matt Targett was then forced off just before the break, suffering from blurred vision.

The injuries provide some cause for mitigation and it was impossible not to feel sorry for Steer, a hero of last season’s promotion team who may now be facing an extended spell on the sidelines. His departure prompted a bittersweet afternoon for Orjan Nyland, Villa’s third-choice keeper, who replaced his good friend off the bench for a first appearance in more than 10 months following his own fightback from a serious Achilles injury.

Villa suddenly found themselves playing with an ever-changing backline. Perhaps it should be no surprise they rarely looked comfortable in the opening 45 minutes.

Yet as Smith was honest enough and right to point out, the injuries didn’t account for their failure to stand up and be counted during a period when Wolves were first to everything.

Besides, Villa’s biggest problems were not at the back, but in a midfield which couldn’t hold on to the ball. Marvelous Nakamba, their best player in the previous weekend’s defeat to Liverpool, had his toughest afternoon in the Premier League to date.

Douglas Luiz and John McGinn were hardly much better with Villa, as a unit, lacking cohesion. An already high-risk strategy of committing men forward against hosts who thrive on the counter became nigh-on suicidal when the ball was constantly being lost.

Wolves were excellent in attack though, thankfully from Villa’s point of view, not when it came to the finish.

The fact Smith’s men threw up such a stinker in a derby fixture was only cause for further frustration but Wolves, when it comes to the quality of the team, are undoubtedly the region’s top dogs right at this moment and some perspective is needed.

A trip to Molineux is currently among the toughest in the Premier League. Wolves have been beaten only once on their home turf by a domestic opponent since January and that was to a Chelsea team currently sitting third in the table. There is no disgrace in losing here. It is the manner of Villa’s performance which will sting.

The international break, while not ideally timed, at least offers the chance for reflection and recuperation before they look to find the right response against Newcastle.