Aston Villa are back in Premier League action on Saturday afternoon as they take on another away day, at local rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers. It was a narrow 1-0 defeat at Manchester United for Unai Emery’s men last weekend but there’s a fresh slate for the trip to Molineux.
The fight for Europe is very much still open for the Villans, even after wins for Brighton & Hove Albion and Liverpool midweek. One point is the gap to the Seagulls in sixth, whereas Tottenham Hotspur - who have played the same amount of games as Villa - are ahead by just two goal difference.
Getting back to winning ways is arguably a necessity to keep the top seven dreams alive but it won’t be easy. Wolves did of course make the headlines for the wrong reasons last weekend after an embarrassing 6-0 defeat at Brighton, but they’ve been a force to be reckoned with on home soil.
Julen Lopetegui’s side have won their last three matches at Molineux to nil, making their ground quite the fortress. The atmosphere has been driving their players to some of their best performances, including victories over Chelsea, Brentford and Crystal Palace. Villa will have to be at their best to claim all three points.
Emery’s starting lineups have been largely unchanged recently but we think there’s room to tinker it a little to boost their chances of a successful Saturday. With that in mind, here’s the XI we think Villa will field at Molineux, in a 4-4-2 formation.
1. Aston Villa predicted starting lineup vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
Here are the 11 players we think Villa will field at Molineux on Saturday.
2. GK - Emi Martinez
Has established himself as one of the world’s best goalkeepers and has absolutely no threat to his starting spot whatsoever.
3. RB - Matty Cash
Has been pushing for a return following a hamstring injury picked up on international duty. We think the £15m ex-Forest man will replace a fatigued Ashley Young.
4. CB - Ezri Konsa
Stays in the starting XI even despite defeat at Old Trafford. Diego Carlos will likely be looking at next season as his time to shine.