Few supporters have suffered like those of Wolverhampton Wanderers this season, enduring truly turgid football. Wolves were winless until January and were compared to the 2007-08 Derby County team — the worst in Premier League history.
Yet roughly 28,000 home fans at Molineux — including a small contingent utterly exposed to the elements, sitting in an uncovered stand and protected only by thin plastic ponchos — braved the conditions as they heeded the call to rally for this derby.
For that sacrifice and perseverance alone, they deserved something to treasure — now they have it: a win over Aston Villa that may jeopardise the Champions League qualification hopes of Unai Emery’s side.
Wolves deserved this win, secured by second-half strikes from João Gomes and Rodrigo Gomes. They were the better team. Rob Edwards’s side fought, were disciplined and finally showed some quality in the final third to score. Emery’s team, in comparison, looked ordinary.
Gomes finished off a swift Wolves attack to give the bottom side the lead against third-placed Villa
DARREN STAPLES/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
“It does weigh on us but it shouldn’t,” Morgan Rogers said when asked whether Villa, who are third at present, were feeling the pressure.
However, Emery, pushed back on those claims. “It’s not pressure,” he said. “It’s our wish [to qualify for the Champions League]. The players are trying — they’re excited and motivated to keep it.”
Villa fans travelled expecting a display of strength — “Mind the gap, mind the gap, Wolverhampton,” they jested, when alighting the train at the local station.
Rodrigo Gomes added the second for Wolves in second-half stoppage time
BRADLEY COLLYER/PA
That gap, both in technical terms and the league table, has grown embarrassingly large but was not apparent during this match, which may have some Wolves fans dreaming of survival.
Edwards, who sprinted down the touchline when Wolves scored their second and was fist-pumping to a buoyant crowd at full-time, admitted he “lost himself for a while”, but played down expectations after the game.
“You never want to give up, but let’s be realistic and see where we’re at,” he said. His team, 14 points from safety, face only one team in the top six in their final nine matches.
Villa threatened on a few occasions, the best of those being when Jadon Sancho quickly worked the ball inside to Rogers, who put Ollie Watkins through on goal. However, instead of using his left foot and shooting across the goal, he awkwardly attempted a shot with the outside of his right foot, which was blocked; Douglas Luiz also struck a decent chance supplied by Matty Cash straight at José Sá. But those opportunities were rare, while Wolves showed promise: a few attacks broke down due to poor decision-making in the final third, yet they could have taken the lead when Toti Gomes shot wide from the centre of the area after a free-kick routine.
Armstrong, the Wolves striker, clashes with Torres, the Villa centre back…
SHAUN BOTTERILL/GETTY IMAGES
… and in the second half Gomes had to be held back by Luiz as tempers frayed once again
SIMON STACPOOLE/OFFSIDE VIA GETTY IMAGES
Emery appeared to instruct Rogers to take a more advanced position at the start of the second half, joining Watkins up front and running in behind. However, it was the home team that took the initiative.
A momentary lapse — Villa failed to recover a loose ball in midfield and Ross Barkley lost his duel with João Gomes — enabled Wolves to spring an attack, as the Brazilian midfielder sent the ball wide to Jackson Tchatchoua.
He crossed into the box as Villa scrambled back into shape. Adam Armstrong laid the ball back with a cushioned first touch, allowing João Gomes to rush onto the ball and sweetly strike beyond Emi Martínez and in via the underside of the crossbar.
Emery did not appear to be very impressed with the performance of his side
DARREN STAPLES/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
Villa began to dominate possession, yet — damningly — Wolves looked more threatening with brief breaks upfield.
Rogers showed glimpses of invention as the game moved into its closing stages, dancing along the touchline and cutting the ball across goal, but Emery was the liveliest member of the visiting side as his players trudged around the pitch in muddy gear.
A long throw late on gave Amadou Onana an opportunity to equalise from close range, but Sá, who attempted to smother the shot, and Yerson Mosquera ,who cleared, combined to deny him. That gave Rodrigo Gomes the opportunity to break forward and secure victory on the break.
Wolverhampton Wanderers (3-4-2-1): J Sá — Y Mosquera, S Bueno, T Gomes — J Tchatchoua, André (A Gomes 89min), J Gomes, H Bueno — J Bellegarde (T Arokodare 81), M Mané — A Armstrong (R Gomes 90+3). Booked Mosquera, Armstrong, Bellegarde.
Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): E Martínez — M Cash, E Konsa, P Torres, L Digne (I Maatsen 70) — A Onana, D Luiz (R Barkley 60) — J Sancho (L Bailey 60), M Rogers, E Buendía (T Abraham 70) — O Watkins (Alysson 86). Booked Buendía, Bailey, Cash.
Referee C Pawson.