Rock-bottom Wolves are 17 points from Premier League safety
Aston Villa are third in the table, five points behind Manchester City in second
Recommended bet: Under 2.5 goals
It is only a matter of time before Wolves are relegated from the Premier League, but they can put a spanner in the works of West Midlands rivals Aston Villa's season in Friday's clash at Molineux.
Rob Edwards' side are cut adrift at the foot of the table, 17 points from safety with just 10 games remaining, but they have shown spirit in recent weeks and can put in another solid showing against the Villans.
Third-placed Villa's title aspirations have evaporated after a poor run of form and they find themselves in a battle to hold onto a top-four finish, with Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool all hunting them down.
The latest Wolves vs Aston Villa odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Team news
Wolves are without suspended defender Ladislav Krejci, who was sent off for two bookable offences in the defeat to Crystal Palace last weekend, with Toti Gomes in line to take his place.
Midfielder Angel Gomes was named on the bench for the Selhurst Park loss after recovering from a back issue and he could be recalled to the starting XI, but forward Hee-Chan Hwang remains sidelined due to injury.
Goalkeeper Marco Bizot will be back among the Villa substitutes after serving his one-game ban for the red card he picked up in the FA Cup loss to Newcastle.
The Villans are without the injured midfield quartet of John McGinn, Boubacar Kamara, Youri Tielemans and Harvey Elliott, while winger Alysson is also sidelined.
The stats
Wolves have won one, drawn three and lost 10 of their 14 home fixtures in the league.
Edwards' side, who are the lowest-scorers in the division with just 18 goals, held leaders Arsenal to a 2-2 draw in their last outing at Molineux.
Six of Wolves' last eight top-flight assignments have produced under 2.5 goals.
Villa have the joint second-best away record in the division, collecting 22 points from 13 matches, but they have won just one of their last four away games in the league.
The Villans have won only one of their last five fixtures in all competitions, drawing two and losing two of the other four contests.
Wolves are unbeaten in their last four home meetings with Villa (W3 D1) and have won six of the last eight clashes with the Villans at Molineux.
The latest Wolves vs Aston Villa odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Prediction
Normally, it would seem a given that the team sitting third in the Premier League standings would pick up a win over the side occupying 20th position, but that may not be the case in this West Midlands derby.
Villa are stumbling at the wrong time, which is putting their top-four place in jeopardy, and rivals Wolves will not need to be asked twice to add to the Villans' issues.
Championship football is what Wolves will be playing next season, but there have been signs of improvement under Edwards and there is certainly optimism for the 2026-27 campaign.
Goals are still an issue for Wolves, who have been blanked in two of their last three league matches, but Villa are also suffering in the final third as they have failed to score more than once in any of their last five games in all competitions.
Six of the last seven meetings between these two have produced less than three strikes and this could turn out to be another tight affair with little to shout about.
