Wolves 2 Villa 0 – Five talking points

Nuno Espirito Santo's team were convincing winners with goals coming from Diogo Jota and Leo Bonatini.

A modern stadium record of 30,239 packed out Molineux to witness it all and created an incredible atmosphere.

So what did we learn from the game? Wolves correspondent Tim Spiers picks out five talking points.

Comprehensive

If anything the 2-0 scoreline flattered Villa.

This was an utterly comprehensive victory and a statement to the rest of the league that Wolves mean business.

Wolves have produced some exceptional football this season and they did so again here in what was their second successive complete 90 minute performance.

They demolished Burton 4-0 two weeks ago but Villa are a far more accomplished side than the Brewers and arrived at Molineux having won four on the bounce and gone unbeaten in eight.

Villa just had no answer to Wolves' high octane brand of silky passing football.

It wasn't as if Steve Bruce's team played badly...Wolves were just so much better.

In both games either side of the international break the winning margins could and should have been greater.

And while the electrifying pace, movement, trickery and technique on show had Molineux purring, even more impressive was the manner in which Nuno's team controlled the match from start to finish.

The head coach has been calling for better 'game management' from his team, who began the season dominating for spells but not a full 90 minutes. They cracked it here, not even having the benefit of an early goal like they did at the Pirelli Stadium.

In fact Wolves got better after the break, exerting their authority with the 3-4-3 formation working a treat and giving the illusion that they had an extra man both in defence and attack.

This was the first top-10 side they'd beaten, having lost to Cardiff and Sheffield United and drawn with Bristol City. As Nuno keeps telling us, Wolves are improving week by week, game by game.

They now top the table (for the first time in the Championship since 2009) and, if they weren't already up there to be shot at, certainly are now.

Big tests are on the horizon, starting with Preston's visit to Molineux on Saturday. If Wolves really are to do something special this season then keeping this momentum up to November's international break would take them a long way.

Naughty Neves

While the gifted Diogo Jota grabbed the headlines the star of the show was Ruben Neves.

The 20-year-old had the ball on a string, producing a 90 per cent pass accuracy, dominating Glenn Whelan and Conor Hourihane and controlling the tempo. It was a masterclass.

Former Wolves and Villa player Steve Froggatt has called Neves the best passer in the league and it's hard to think of a better one.

He's on another level to those around him and possesses an extraordinary perception and touch. Neves is using a paintbrush and easel while everyone else is on an etch-a-sketch.

In fact in Diogo Jota Wolves possess arguably the best player in the league – certainly in terms of form. And no other Championship side has yet come near to the level of football Wolves have produced.

Leo Bonatini couldn't even make the starting XI here, yet he's mustered more goals (five) and assists (four) combined than anyone in the Championship.

Ruben Vinagre was superb at Burton but dropped to the bench. Alfred N'Diaye was Wolves' hero against Barnsley last month with a goal and an assist and was then their best player in defeat at Sheffield United...but hasn't started since.

Ben Marshall would walk into most other sides in the league, Ryan Bennett helped keep a clean sheet at Burton and has more than 300 games in English football under his belt, Will Norris has been outstanding in three League Cup games (keeping three clean sheets) and Bright Enobakhare is a hugely talented youngster who scored twice in two games last month.

That's not to mention players who weren't in the squad such as Kortney Hause, Jack Price, Michal Zyro, the unfit Willy Boly and potential future stars Connor Ronan and Morgan Gibbs-White.

Wolves' strength in depth is frightening.

Record crowd

How great to see Molineux so full – and so happy.

Special Molineux nights have been few and far between in the past six seasons, particularly the past two in which Wolves' home record has been miserable.

As with so many other facts, Nuno's Wolves look a different animal to what's gone before them.

Wolves have had a horrible tendency to freeze on the big occasion in recent years. They also have a miserable record in games played after an international break.

But any concerns about them tripping up were completely unfounded.

Wolves not only won an important match against their local rivals, they did so in some style and the 30,239 who packed into Molineux lapped it up creating a deafening din.

The atmosphere was breathtaking from start to finish.

It had seasoned Wolves observers dubbing it one of the best performances they’d seen in years. There were even comparisons to the play-off final win in 2003.

It's difficult to compare through the eras but in terms of dominant Molineux performances it was up there with wins over Nottingham Forest (5-1, August 2008) and Albion (3-1, May 2011).

And in terms of atmosphere it was reminiscent of memorable Molineux matches such as the 2-1 win over Manchester United in 2011 or that 3-2 FA Cup victory against Newcastle in 2003.

Combine the two and you had a night to remember. Certainly one of the best at Molineux in the past two decades.

Rock solid

Villa's 4-4-2 formation and puzzling reluctance to consistently put pressure on the ball played into Wolves' hands.

But in defence Wolves didn't give them a sniff. Jonathan Kodjia's threat was quelled by a back three on top of their game, especially Roderick Miranda who had his best game in a Wolves shirt.

Miranda took a few weeks to get going but his past two performances have been largely error-free and he looks composed bringing the ball out of defence.

The 27-year-old geared up for his big day out at Dudley Zoo yesterday with a tigerish display and a very impressive 93 per cent pass accuracy.

He also had the confidence to break forward, play a one-two with Ivan Cavaleiro and fire into the side netting from 20 yards.

Some of Wolves' attacking play was absolutely scintillating with Jota and Neves in particular carving open the Villa back line. Cavaleiro wasn't quite as effective (and came in for some rough treatment) and Helder Costa is still building up his fitness.

At the back though, yet again, the solid foundations on which Nuno has built his team created a platform for another Wolves win.

For Carl

On any other week the moment of the match could have been either goal, or the celebrations at full time, or that stunning 20-pass move in the second half which so nearly led to a bona fide goal of the season contender. If that had gone in there'd have been a 24-page pull-out in today's Express & Star.

However the moment that really stood out was when both sets of fans joined in unison to pay tribute to Carl Ikeme.

A noisy rendition of "one Carl Ikeme" was reciprocated by the Villa supporters and then all four sides of Molineux produced thunderous applause.

It was an emotional moment that, even in the heat of a feisty West Midlands derby, showed the unifying power of the game we all love.

Ikeme was one of the heroes of last season's 1-0 win over Villa at Molineux and the above picture showed how much it meant to him.

One can’t even imagine what he’s currently going through but the club and its supporters are doing a fine job of showing their support for the popular goalkeeper.

This victory, as with every one this season, was for Carl. He's never far from our thoughts.