Wolves v Aston Villa: The Express & Star team predict the derby clash

With both sides sitting in mid-table, it's sure to be an intriguing encounter - but how do we think it will go?

The Express & Star team give their take on the clash, who could stand out, and provide their prediction for the clash here...

Joe Edwards - Express & Star Wolves correspondent

Who is best placed for this first derby clash of the season between Wolves and Villa in your opinion, and why?

That's a tough one. Wolves are yet to really blow a side away but have put in some sound performances - and some pretty awful ones too. Villa, equally, have had big results but then unexpected defeats, so they're pretty much in the same boat.

Nuno's lot, of course, come into this on the back of shipping four at Liverpool and will be eager to put things right, while Villa are fresh after a weekend off.

Because of the time they've had to prepare, although it could be seen as a bad thing as well, I'd just about say Villa.

Both sides look a fair bit inconsistent this season in regards to results, do you feel each side would be fairly content with a draw here?

Not really, no.

Wolves, to be fair, have a knack of responding to poor performances and will be aiming to continue the trend. Villa, from what I have seen, look to be a side that are happy to attack and try to score goals as well.

This is a tough month of fixtures for Wolves but they will be hoping to get at least a couple of wins in.

Wolves had the better of it against Villa last season, do you think either manager will take those previous meetings into account heading into this clash?

Not sure with Dean Smith, but Nuno certainly won't. Game-by-game is something he always stresses, but he doesn't just say it for the fun of it - it's the philosophy of him and all the squad.

Both sides have changed a fair bit since last year as well - Wolves are without Raul Jimenez and Jonny Castro Otto through injury and also had Diogo Jota and Matt Doherty leave over the summer, of course - so reflecting on results of previous years probably won't be of much use.

Villa are a stronger side than last season as well.

Where will the game be won and lost in your opinion?

Midfield. Wolves are yet to really to get going in the middle of the park this season.

The defence, apart from the heavy losses at Liverpool and West Ham, has been pretty solid. Yes, goals have been a problem, but you can't just put the blame on the attackers - those just behind them have to start chipping in, too.

No midfielder has scored for Wolves yet this season, so hopefully that changes in this one.

Which one player do you think will have the biggest impact on the match and why?

Pedro Neto. He has been Wolves' star player so far this campaign and if he is on it, it goes a long way. Such a talented dribbler who has an eye for goal and also works his socks off for the cause, there is a great deal to like about the Portuguese.

Adama Traore, if at his best, could cause major damage, but Neto has been the most consistent and will be up for this one, no doubt.

Your prediction, who wins this fixture?

I think Wolves edge it by a goal, so 2-1 or perhaps 1-0.

Nuno was mightily disappointed with how things went at Liverpool and this will have been a focused week of training.

Seeing Jimenez at the training ground for the first time since fracturing his skull will have given the players a lift, too, so let's see if that translates into a top performance.

Matt Maher - Express & Star Chief sports writer and Aston Villa correspondent

Who is best placed for this first derby clash of the season between Wolves and Villa in your opinion, and why?

You’d say the biggest question marks at the minute surround Wolves and precisely how Nuno Espirito Santo is going to set up his team.

Villa’s line-up, by contrast, has been pretty steady - they’ve used fewer players than anyone else this season.

Does Nuno stick with a back four or return to a three? It’s not easy for anyone to predict, including Dean Smith.

Both sides look a fair bit inconsistent this season in regards to results, do you feel each side would be fairly content with a draw here?

Content? No. They’ll both want to win. But it is fair to say a draw would not be a disaster for either.

Villa have lost their last two despite playing well in both matches and don’t want to lose a third. Wolves need to reset after the disappointing display at Liverpool. The focus of both bosses will primarily be on performance.

Wolves had the better of it against Villa last season, do you think either manager will take those previous meetings into account heading into this clash?

Not really. Both teams have seen significant changes.

Tomorrow should give us an indication of where they stand in relation to each other. Wolves were comfortably better than Villa last season, in both matches.

Has the gap narrowed? We’ll see.

Where will the game be won and lost in your opinion?

How disciplined are these defences? Wolves looked ragged against Liverpool, while Villa paid a big price for mistakes against Brighton and West Ham.

There is no shortage of attacking quality in either side, from Pedro Neto to Jack Grealish and Daniel Podence.

Which one player do you think will have the biggest impact on the match and why?

Impossible to say. Plenty of the focus will be on how well Wolves are able to shackle Grealish.

With Ross Barkley out, Villa have a greater dependence on their skipper. But the midfield battle is also interesting.

Wolves have struggled to find the right formula so far and if Douglas Luiz and in particular John McGinn are on song that could tip things Villa’s way.

Your prediction, who wins this fixture?

Both teams have veered from the sublime to the ridiculous at points this season, though you’d argue Villa’s performances have been a little steadier and they have tended to save their best for the road.

But we are also at a point, not for the first time in his reign, when people are looking at Nuno to find a solution and he usually delivers.

Making predictions in this barmy season is a thankless task but I’ll go for a score draw.

Russell Youll - Express & Star group sports editor

Who is best placed for this first derby clash of the season between Wolves and Villa in your opinion, and why?

Tough one... The honest answer is I'm not sure.

Both teams have been erratic so far this season. Personally, I found Wolves a tough side to watch early in the season, lacking the fluency and pace of the last couple of seasons. They appeared to find that after switching to four at the back against Southampton and looked really good in the win at Arsenal. However, the 4-0 reverse at Anfield was a setback.

Villa, on the other hand, have veered between looking the most fluent, stylish attacking side in the league and then looking like a side who are there for the taking.

There's no doubt their front-foot style does open up spaces for counter-attacking sides to exploit in behind but when Villa are good, they're very good. The performances against Liverpool and Arsenal were stunning. They should have had all three points in the bag at West Ham well before the Ollie Watkins 'equaliser' was ruled out by VAR.

On balance, I think it is fairly even - although home advantage could just edge it in Wolves' way.

Both sides look a fair bit inconsistent this season in regards to results, do you feel each side would be fairly content with a draw here?

Yes. I think both sides would leave relatively happy with a point.

I think Wolves will be happy to shore things up after such a poor second half at Liverpool. Villa need to avoid the problems of last season of leaving games empty handed after good performances that deserved at least a point.

You can only do that so long before confidence takes a hit.

Wolves had the better of it against Villa last season, do you think either manager will take those previous meetings into account heading into this clash?

Probably Nuno a fraction more than Deano. Wolves have more of the same team from last season than Villa. Nuno will feel he knows where Villa leave themselves open to attack. However, Raul Jimenez was the big thorn in Villa's sode last season. His absence could be telling.

Smith, conversely, has a better squad than last term and will have his players revved up to get one over on Wolves.

Where will the game be won and lost in your opinion?

On the flanks. Jack Grealish's form has been stunning so far and he works extremely hard without the ball too, something that often goes unnoticed. That said, Villa do leave holes in behind when they go forward and Matt Targett has often been exposed down Villa's left.

If Adama Traore can get on the ball, he could well exploit that.

Which one player do you think will have the biggest impact on the match and why?

The absence of Raul Jimenez could prove crucial - but in terms of players who will be on the pitch, I'd have to say Grealish.

All the stats show he is the form player not only in the Premier League but across the top leagues in Europe right now. He missed the last two league clashes at Molineux with injury and Villa struggled badly.

I'm a big fan of Pedro Neto and I think Daniel Podence looks a real talent. But in their talismanic captain, Villa have the one player genuinely on top of his game who has the X-factor that could decide any game.

Your prediction, who wins this fixture?

I think it's a close one but I don't see it ending in a draw. I have a sneaking suspicion Villa could take the points with a bit of Grealish-inspired magic.

Luke Hatfield - Express & Star digital sports journalist

Who is best placed for this first derby clash of the season between Wolves and Villa in your opinion, and why?

It's a really interesting dynamic heading into this one, to be honest.

Villa are coming off a number of good performances which have not yielded points, whilst Wolves are coming off a heavy defeat to Liverpool - so both sides have a point to prove in some respect.

Villa will have been helped by the extended break afforded to them by the postponement of the Newcastle game, but could this come at the cost of some match sharpness? It's hard to say.

I'd argue Villa are in better shape for the fixture though purely due to their shorter injury list. They're missing Ross Barkley, but other than that it's pretty much full strength for Dean Smith.

That's not the case for Wolves though. Jonny Castro Otto is a big miss in defence, and not having Raul Jimenez after his horror injury could threaten to cause real problems to their season as a whole.

Both sides look a fair bit inconsistent this season in regards to results, do you feel each side would be fairly content with a draw here?

I personally think both sides would settle for a point.

Villa haven't had the best of it against Wolves in recent times, and are probably due a draw given they haven't recorded one yet this season. They're also playing away from home, and you'd have said a point against a side like Wolves was a good one to get before the season.

As for Wolves, I think the fan-base might not think a point is the worst thing in the world given the injury issues they have. They do have a couple of tricky fixtures coming up though, so maybe they'll see this as an opportunity for three points.

Ultimately, both sides would absolutely love to win this weekend, but would they prefer not to lose?

Wolves had the better of it against Villa last season, do you think either manager will take those previous meetings into account heading into this clash?

I doubt it.

Nuno is always hammering home the fact that they take on their opponents one game at a time. Meanwhile, this Villa team are very different to the one we saw much of last season.

Add into the mix that Wolves are tinkering with their formation here and there, and you can't really say they'll be running off the same blueprint they did in previous fixtures.

Where will the game be won and lost in your opinion?

In both boxes, I'd say.

Villa have been architects of their own downfall in recent games. They've outplayed opposing teams, but have had lapses defensively and been profligate when it comes to taking chances they've created.

I'm sure Dean Smith would rather this be the case than simply not creating chances and being leaky at the back, but it's an issue nonetheless. Villa will hope that they maintain focus at the back and take their chances in the opposing penalty area.

Same goes for Wolves but in a slightly different respect, they need someone to fill Jimenez's sizeable boots until he's back fit, and right now I'm not 100 per cent sure they've got the solution. If someone like Fabio Silva can fill the void they'll be onto something.

Which one player do you think will have the biggest impact on the match and why?

Probably Jack Grealish, particularly from a Villa perspective. He's been the form player in the top flight so far and is the cog that turns everything at Villa.

I think he'll be helped quite substantially if Wolves play with four at the back. Nelson Semedo hasn't convinced me since joining Wolves, and I'm still not sold on Conor Coady in a four either - cutting off that left flank he could have a right field day.

Elsewhere, Leander Dendoncker has always impressed me, and he popped up with the winner late last season, he seems an underrated player. Pedro Neto has been in fine form too, he could cause problems for Villa.

Your prediction, who wins this fixture?

It's such a tough one to call, so I'm calling it a draw.

I think Villa probably have the best shout for a win with Jimenez out for Wolves, but Nuno has a great ability to have his side bounce back from defeat, and I don't doubt that will be the case this weekend.

Maybe 1-1.

Adam Virgo - Express & Star Wolves contributor

Who is best placed for this first derby clash of the season between Wolves and Villa in your opinion, and why?

Both teams have an argument for this for various reasons. Starting with Wolves, the transition to a back four has brought success bar the Liverpool game, which warrants a big reaction this weekend, and being at home they will go into the game as favourites.

As for Villa, they won their first three away games without conceding, however they have lost four of their last five games so will be looking to bounce back after such a strong start this season.

Both sides look a fair bit inconsistent this season in regards to results, do you feel each side would be fairly content with a draw here?

With Wolves being at home, I feel they would be less content with a draw as opposed to Aston Villa.

Molineux is not an easy place to go and win at so I’m sure Villa would be happy with a point there, especially as Wolves have won both home games in this fixture since Nuno Espírito Santo has been in charge.

Wolves had the better of it against Villa last season, do you think either manager will take those previous meetings into account heading into this clash?

No chance, they’d be crazy to even worry about what happened in the previous meetings, the focus should solely be on this game only. Nuno’s philosophy is one game at a time and has no interest in past results or future fixtures.

Dean Smith is up against a Wolves side that have been playing with a back four so the previous meetings mean absolutely nothing going into this game.

This is a completely different game where both sides have made changes to their respective squads since those meetings.

Where will the game be won and lost in your opinion?

The key area for this game will be which sides can take their chances.

Since Wolves’ switch to a back four, they have looked more of an attacking threat and created more chances (bar the Liverpool game), however they have not always made enough of those opportunities.

Losing Raúl Jiménez to injury is key to this also, whereas Villa have Ollie Watkins and Jack Grealish who have scored six and five goals respectively.

Villa were dominant in their last two games against West Ham and Brighton, creating numerous chances but ended up losing both games 2-1.

This is a game where both sides can, and more than likely will, create chances and opportunities, and whoever does will come out on top.

Which one player do you think will have the biggest impact on the match and why?

Pedro Neto but only if Wolves start with a 4-2-3-1, which I’m confident they will.

He absolutely tore Arsenal apart all game and was the best player on the pitch by far. He came on for the last 20 minutes against Southampton which meant Wolves switched from 4-3-3 to 4-2-3-1, Neto scored the equaliser and changed the game massively.

If Wolves go into this game with a 4-2-3-1 then I believe Neto will have a huge impact once again.

Don’t get me wrong, there are many players that could have the biggest impact, Jack Grealish has been one of the best players in the league so far this season and it wouldn’t be surprising if he had a huge impact too.

Your prediction, who wins this fixture?

Wolves, just about.

I can definitely see both sides scoring, Villa have scored in every league fixture this season bar one and Wolves have scored in all of their home games this campaign.

If I had to pick a score, I’d say Wolves 2-1 Villa but it will be a close encounter.

Justin Hawthorne - Express & Star Aston Villa contributor

Who is best placed for this first derby clash of the season between Wolves and Villa in your opinion, and why?

It’s a tough one to call for me, we had a brilliant start but recently whilst our performances have been good we haven’t got the results we deserve.

Wolves are transitioning this season and have had to deal with a terrible injury to Raul Jimenez, I’d like to wish him all the best with his recovery as well.

With Ross Barkley still missing we will need to fill that gap, so I’d say we are going into the game fairly even.

Both sides look a fair bit inconsistent this season in regards to results, do you feel each side would be fairly content with a draw here?

That’s the story of this season for me, every team is inconsistent now, whether that’s because the fans aren’t in the grounds we will never know.

We need to be more clinical when we are on top in games and not allow teams a chance to get anything like we did West Ham last time out.

I always want Villa to win any game so no I wouldn't be happy with a draw, but if we are 1-0 down with five to play I’d take a point.

Wolves had the better of it against Villa last season, do you think either manager will take those previous meetings into account heading into this clash?

I think Dean Smith will want a better outcome from last season so he will be prepared for how Wolves play.

Nuno seems to stick quite religiously to the system he favours so I don’t think wolves will change anything for the game.

Where will the game be won and lost in your opinion?

I think the midfield will be the key battleground, Wolves tend to rotate in that area this season but are still strong.

The loss of Ross Barkley is a shame as he would have loved this game, Wolves have been very good in the middle of the park but I think with Dougla Luiz, John McGinn and Jack Grealish we can now match them here.

Which one player do you think will have the biggest impact on the match and why?

Obvious answer but it simply has to be Jack Grealish. He's the form player in the premier league this season and the player who we look to to create and score for us. If he has a great game we win.

Your prediction, who wins this fixture?

I actually quite fancy us to win the game 2-1, Wolves aren’t the same team they were last season and we have improved a lot so, whilst it will be another close game I think we will just have enough on the day to win.