Wolves 2-0 Aston Villa: Emery's Side Claim Derby Win With Gomes Double

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Wolves earned a vital 2-0 Premier League win over Aston Villa at a wet Molineux, with Joao Gomes and Rodrigo Gomes striking late. The bottom side claimed only their second league victory of the season, while Villa’s top-four push stalled and Manchester United now have a chance to move above them.

The defeat left Villa third in the Premier League table, vulnerable to being overtaken by Manchester United this weekend. Wolves, though still 14 points behind Nottingham Forest in 17th place, at least moved to 13 points and are now certain not to match Derby County’s 11-point record low from 2007-08.

Unai Emery’s struggles at Molineux continued, with the Aston Villa head coach still winless there in the Premier League. Emery has now recorded one draw and three defeats in four league visits with his teams, underlining how this ground keeps causing problems despite Villa’s stronger league position.

Villa went into Friday’s West Midlands derby short of form, having taken just one victory from their previous four Premier League fixtures. That run had already allowed Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool to close in on Champions League qualification places, and this setback further checked the momentum Emery’s side built earlier in the season.

Although Wolves looked sharper in general play before half-time, Villa created the clearer openings. Pau Torres headed a good chance wide, then Toti Gomes missed with a volley at the other end. Douglas Luiz drew a save from Jose Sa after connecting with a Matty Cash cross from the right.

After the break, Wolves punished Villa with a well-worked move in the 61st minute. Jackson Tchatchoua threaded a pass into the box, Adam Armstrong flicked it neatly into space, and Joao Gomes crashed a rising shot off the underside of the bar, giving Emiliano Martinez no chance.

Villa responded by committing more players forward in search of an equaliser, and Amadou Onana went close. Onana saw a powerful attempt blocked on the line by Yerson Mosquera, who produced a decisive intervention. That miss proved costly as Villa were later exposed on a rapid counter-attack deep into stoppage time.

In the 98th minute, Mateus Mane released Joao Gomes into the area on the break. The midfielder’s shot deflected off Rogers and spun loose, allowing Rodrigo Gomes to react first and finish on the turn. That strike was timed at 97:09, Wolves’ second-latest recorded Premier League goal after Hwang Hee-chan’s 98:04 effort against Manchester United in 2024.

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Wolves’ victory meant both goals came from players sharing the same surname. Joao Gomes ended a 37-match Premier League run without scoring, finally adding to Wolves’ attack from midfield. Rodrigo Gomes added the second, ensuring the hosts converted their best chances during a match where they spent long spells without the ball.

Villa actually led many of the underlying numbers, taking 14 shots to Wolves’ nine and edging expected goals by 1.06 to 0.92. Yet Wolves created more clear-cut openings, recording three big chances to Villa’s two, and Rob Edwards’ team were far more clinical when those key moments arrived.

Under Emery, Villa have generally handled struggling opponents well, losing only two of 26 Premier League matches against teams starting the day in the relegation zone. Both of those defeats have now been 2-0 losses away to Wolves, with the previous setback also coming in February 2025.

That statistic highlighted how unusual this setback was for Villa under Emery, given their strong record against sides at the bottom. For Wolves, the result did not change the scale of the relegation task but offered rare encouragement, as the club kept a clean sheet and beat a leading Premier League rival at home.