Villa slip up as Wolverhampton claim crucial win

KATHMANDU: Aston Villa suffered a costly setback in the Premier League after falling 2–0 to bottom-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers, dealing a blow to their hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League.

Goals from João Gomes and Rodrigo Gomes secured only Wolves’ second league victory of the season, taking them to 13 points and sparing them from the embarrassment of setting an unwanted record for the lowest points total in the club’s history.

While relegation still looks likely for Wolves, the result at least offers a small boost to their morale as they continue their fight for survival.

For Villa, the defeat was a major missed opportunity. Although they remain third in the table, they failed to extend their advantage over fourth-placed Manchester United to six points in the race for Champions League qualification.

Unai Emery’s side has now won just two of their last seven league matches and were recently knocked out of the FA Cup, raising concerns about their dip in form at a crucial stage of the season.

Villa created several promising chances in the first half but were unable to convert.

The breakthrough came in the 61st minute when João Gomes fired Wolves into the lead, before Rodrigo Gomes sealed the victory with a late second goal.