Aston Villa player ratings vs Wolves: rogue man-of-the-match shout as four score 8/10 in derby triumph

Boubacar Kamara’s 20-yard stunner was enough to seal Aston Villa a narrow 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the West Midlands derby.

Kamara sent Villa Park wild after 67 minutes of untidy football from both teams. The France international took one touch to control a fizzed John McGinn pass and struck with venom on his weaker left foot, arrowing the ball into the top right-hand corner.

As much as it was frenetic, the game was more scrappy than it was entertaining. Villa undoubtedly had the better of the possession but it was far from convincing at times, especially in the first half.

If anything, Wolves were the better side in the opening exchanges and Jorgen Strand Larsen thought he’d netted a shock opening goal, finishing first time from a low Jackson Tchatchoua cross, but it was flagged offside. Strand Larsen did nothing wrong, rather Jhon Arias was in goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez’s field of view.

Villa weathered the early storm and began to dominate possession, though very few chances were crafted as Wolves stood firm and compact. The game was stop-start, too, halting Villa from developing a proper rhythm.

On the verge of half time, Strand Larsen had the next big chance as he met another Tchatchoua cross but Martinez made a strong save at his near post. Martinez then made an even better stop to deny Yerson Mosquera from the corner that followed, acrobatically tipping the defender’s header onto the crossbar.

Ollie Watkins came on for Buendia early in the second period, changing the structure as the England international slotted in alongisde Donyell Malen in a two-up-top formation. That made a big difference as Villa had more presence in the box and began to threaten.

Kamara’s goal came soon after as Wolves were more concerned about what was going on in their own defensive quarters, rather than stopping the threat from distance. It was a remarkable strike and one worthy of winning any football match.

Goalkeeper and defence ratings

Emiliano Martinez: Played a pivotal role in keeping the clean sheet, making important saves to deny Strand Larsen and Mosquera just before the break and another from Bellegarde in the second half. Martinez then sealed the deal with a big stop from Joao Gomes in stoppage time. 8

Matty Cash: Hardly looked fazed by Bellegarde and Chirewa as he put in another composed display at right-back. Perhaps could’ve done a bit more going forward but his priority is to defend, after all. 7

Ezri Konsa: Marshalled the back four effectively and battled hard to keep the handful Strand Larsen at bay. Threw himself into some really important blocks late on to preserve the clean sheet. 8

Pau Torres: Stopped an almost certain goal for Strand Larsen at the start of the second half, sliding in to make a last-ditch challenge. Didn’t put much of a foot wrong with his passing out from the back. 7

Lucas Digne: Did the dirty work effectively to lock down his side, rarely - if ever - beaten by the pacy Tchatchoua and Arias. Created a good chance early doors with a superb cross from a free-kick. 7

Midfield and attack ratings

Boubacar Kamara (off 88’): Scored the belter of a winner, thumping the ball into the top right. Looked solid defensively throughout, too, as he helped break up the play. 8

Youri Tielemans (off 75’): Tried to make things happen when the game was dull, bypassing the Wolves press with several tidy passes through the lines. Forced an awkward save from Johnstone with a dipping effort from distance midway through the first half. 7

John McGinn: Assisted Kamara’s winner with a pinpoint pass inside. Deserved the goal involvement as he was direct and energetic throughout. Particularly dazzled when he was moved to the right flank, even though he struggled there earlier in the season. 8 (MOTM)

Emiliano Buendia (off 55’): Often Villa’s outball as Tielemans and Kamara played through the press, Buendia struggled with his decision making. There were several promising counter-attacks he wasted with inaccurate passes, while he took too long with others. 5

Morgan Rogers: Struggled to make anywhere near as much of an impact as he did against Leeds, unable to get into the game as he wished due to the scrappiness of it. Rogers spooned well over into the Holte End with his best chance. 5

Donyell Malen (off 75’): Kept the likes of Agbadou and Toti busy but was a little rash with his shot attempts. 6

Ollie Watkins (on 54’): Aided Villa with his hold-up play off the bench and helped create space off the ball. Although Watkins only had a handful of touches, he made a difference. 7