Wolves 2 Aston Villa 0 – Report and pictures

Goals from Diogo Jota and Leo Bonatini saw Wolves beat Villa 2-0 and head to the top of the Championship.

Jota opened the scoring shortly after half time with a ferocious drive from 15 yards.

Substitute Bonatini made it 2-0 when finishing from a tight angle after great work from Jota.

Robert Snodgrass hit the bar with a 20-yard free kick but Villa were well beaten at Molineux.

Analysis

Matt Doherty suggested yesterday that if Wolves could beat Villa with the swagger they've shown when beating 'lesser' teams, it'd prove they were the real deal.

Well on that basis Wolves are the real deal.

In fact it's hard to draw any other conclusion after a convincing victory against a Villa team that had won four on the spin.

Wolves won in style. They produced some of their best football of the season and a less organised and resolute defence than Villa's would have folded and been routed.

The sensational Diogo Jota scored one (his seventh of the campaign) and set up another to confirm his status as one of the best players in this league. And at the moment Wolves are the best team – top of the league and having the proverbial laugh.

Villa did not deserve anything from the game. They were far too defensive and although they thwarted Wolves' advances in the first half, it seemed only a matter of time until they would go on to concede in the second.

Their 4-4-2 formation meant they were often overrun in the middle of the park – the excellent Ruben Neves pulling the strings from deep for the hosts and Jota constantly finding pockets of space between the lines.

Wingers Robert Snodgrass and Albert Adomah were too narrow for most of the affair meaning the front two of Jonathan Kodjia and Keinan Davis became isolated. Overall, very much one to forget for the visitors.

It was all watched by a modern stadium record at Molineux of 30,239, the biggest since the ground was developed in 1993 (and the largest since 1981).

In that time the place won't have been much louder than it was tonight. And it's hard to think of a time when there'd have been more optimism. Wolves' fans feel their team could be on the verge of something special.

It's only October but Nuno's team just keep on delivering.

Match report

Nuno made two changes from the team that beat Burton 4-0 before the international break, with the fit-again Barry Douglas and suspension-free Conor Coady replacing Ryan Bennett and Ruben Vinagre, who dropped to the bench.

Villa’s XI was as expected with Alan Hutton in for the suspended Neil Taylor.

A fiery encounter was expected and - after the two teams walked out with sets of huge flames flanking them - it did not take long for referee Tim Robinson to dish out a yellow card.

Villa's Robert Snodgrass was the culprit as, after 12 minutes, he bundled over Ivan Cavaleiro on the edge of the area. Wolves skipper Danny Batth headed wide following the resulting free-kick.

Both sides then made penalty appeals, which were ignored, and the hosts began to attack with more purpose - Diogo Jota looking dangerous every time he had the ball at his feet.

Villa were defending their box well though, not presenting Wolves with any clear-cut chances from close range.

So £15million man Ruben Neves tried his luck from 30 yards and forced Manchester United loanee Sam Johnstone to tip the ball just over.

That was the last telling effort before the break but there was another booking, the visitors' Connor Hourihane getting it.

Villa continued to sit back and invite pressure - and Wolves punished them shortly into the second period.

Unsurprisingly, it was Jota who got the goal. The Portuguese forward weaved his way past Ahmed Elmohamady before lashing the ball home past Johnstone - 55 minutes in.

Steve Bruce's charges were punished for a lack of attacking intent and they changed things shortly after the hour mark, bringing on Scott Hogan for teenager Keinan Davis in an attempt to liven things up.

They were still having no joy though and Leo Bonatini, who replaced Helder Costa for the start of the second half, soon doubled Wolves' advantage.

It was Jota who broke through the Villa backline before Alan Hutton blocked his effort, with the ball falling kindly to Bonatini and he slotted in through the legs of Johnstone - 72 minutes gone.

Both teams used their three allowed substitutions. The away side almost pulled one back in the closing stages - Snodgrass' free-kick rattling the woodwork - but Nuno Espirito Santo's men saw out a well-deserved derby day victory.

Key moments

11 – Helder Costa is racing through on goal before Alan Hutton denies him with a crucial sliding tackle.

55 – GOAL – Ivan Cavaleiro's cross reaches DIOGO JOTA who brilliantly works the ball onto his left foot and finds space to lash home from 15 yards.

72 – GOAL – Diogo Jota bursts through two players with a stunning turn of pace – Alan Hutton slides in and the ball breaks for LEO BONATINI who finishes from an improbably tight angle.

83 – Robert Snodgrass pings a 20-yard free kick against the bar.

Line ups

Wolves (3-4-3): John Ruddy; Batth (c), Coady, Miranda; Doherty, Neves (N'Diaye, 80), Saiss, Douglas; Costa (Bonatini, 45), Jota, Cavaleiro (Marshall, 73). Subs: Norris, Bennett, Vinagre, Enobakhare.

Goals: Jota (55), Bonatini (72)

Villa (4-4-2): Johnstone; Elmohamady, Terry (c), Chester, Hutton; Snodgrass, Hourihane, Whelan, Adomah (Onomah, 73); Davis (Hogan, 64), Kodjia (O'Hare, 79). Subs: Steer, Samba, De Laet, Bjarnason.

Attendance: 30,239 (2,700 from Villa)

Referee: Tim Robinson