Goals in the latter half by Joao Gomes and Rodrigo Gomes secured a notable inaugural victory across nine matches for Wolves, as the team at the foot of the Premier League table put West Midlands rivals Aston Villa in jeopardy of being surpassed by Manchester United this weekend.
Lax defensive play by the third-placed Villans enabled Joao Gomes to arc a shot beyond goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez from inside the penalty area, opening the scoring in the 61st minute at Molineux. He seized the opportunity following Adam Armstrong’s redirection of Jackson Tchatchoua’s cross from the right flank.
João Gomes breaks the deadlock after a sweeping move! 🔓 pic.twitter.com/wNDF2GHTJF
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 27, 2026
Wolves’ manager, Rob Edwards, joyfully celebrated with the away supporters when Rodrigo Gomes pivoted to unleash a low shot, doubling his team’s advantage in the 98th minute. The rebound off Joao Gomes’ blocked effort landed favorably for the winger.
United will surpass Villa if they secure victory against Crystal Palace at home on Sunday (14:00 GMT). Wolves remain 14 points adrift of a secure position, with nine matches left in their league season.
Rodrigo Gomes seals the win for Wolves! ✅ pic.twitter.com/GXdgfi4kxc
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 27, 2026
Analysis: Villa Stumble Once More Following a Loss at Wolves
Villa boss Unai Emery had openly cautioned his team that Wolves were undeserving of their 1-0 loss at Villa Park shortly after Rob Edwards’ arrival in November. The beleaguered guests retaliated with their sole shot on goal against opponents who experienced a struggling February, still trailing Manchester City by five points and Arsenal by ten after this result.
Pau Torres misdirected a header from a promising chance, Ollie Watkins paused despite being in a good scoring position within the box, and Douglas Luiz sent a volley towards goalkeeper Jose Sa as the hosts struggled prior to halftime. Sa then pushed an Ian Maatsen effort from near distance away after Wolves took the lead.
Former Wolves striker Don Goodman stated he had been “profoundly let down” by Villa’s display leading up to the initial goal.
“They have failed to keep Wolves on the defensive and under continuous pressure,” Goodman informed Sky Sports. “That is what I anticipated during the latter half.”
This outlines Villa’s performance this month, securing victory in one of five league games and suffering defeat in three of six across all competitions.
| Date | Opponents | Result |
| February 27 | Wolves (A) | 0-2 |
| February 21 | Leeds United (H) | 1-1 |
| February 14 | Newcastle United (H, FA Cup) | 1-3 |
| February 11 | Brighton & Hove Albion (H) | 1-0 |
| February 7 | Bournemouth (A) | 1-1 |
| February 1 | Brentford (H) | 0-1 |
What Is Amiss for Villa? Wolves’ Strategic ‘Approach’ Succeeds
“They’re far from the squad I’ve observed this season,” former Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie told the broadcaster; their reporting seemed to indicate defender Ezri Konsa appearing displeased by the dissatisfied supporters.
“I’m seeing a team who seem apprehensive to innovate – substitute players are making no impression. There are numerous aspects I could highlight.
“That is simply inadequate. You face a team positioned at the league’s lowest spot… in a crucial local rivalry match, that is a significant reality check for Villa.”
Former England women’s international Izzy Christiansen noted Villa were “exceptionally weak with ball control.” Christiansen added, “It’s undeniable that Rob Edwards’ gameplan disrupted Villa’s preferred setup, and they earned a favorable outcome as a result.”
“From Villa’s perspective, it was a really dismal display.
“Dreadful aptly characterizes it. They look so disjointed. They’ve been so expertly guided in the last few years but they’re on a poor spell and they could end up suffering greatly because of it.”
A clever flick from Mateus Mané forces Matty Cash into a foul 🟨 pic.twitter.com/8x0ioNdWNH
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 27, 2026
Wolves Squad Against Aston Villa
Ladislav Krejci, a defender or midfielder on loan from Girona, was unavailable for Wolves due to suspension after his dismissal against Palace.
Defender Toti and midfielder Joao Gomes were the fresh additions to their initial lineup, with Tolu Arokodare relegated to the substitutes’ bench.
Forward Hee Chan Hwang had resumed training after an injury but did not participate. Winger Enso Gonzalez was dealing with a protracted knee ailment.
Wolves’ Initial Lineup: Jose Sa, Yerson Mosquera, Santiago Bueno, Toti Gomes, Jackson Tchatchoua, Joao Gomes, Andre, Hugo Bueno, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Adam Armstrong, Mateus Mane
Wolves Bench Players: Sam Johnstone, Matt Doherty, David Moller Wolfe, Tolu Arokodare, Pedro Lima, Rodrigo Gomes, Angel Gomes, Saheed Olagunju, Tom Edozie
Aston Villa Squad Against Wolves
Villa implemented three alterations, introducing defenders Pau Torres and Lucas Digne, and winger Jadon Sancho, in place of Tyrone Mings, Maatsen, and Leon Bailey.
Goalkeeper Marco Bizot was available among the substitutes after serving a suspension, accompanied by recent signing, winger Alysson, who had been absent since his debut against Brighton & Hove Albion on February 11, having missed two games due to injury subsequently.
Midfielders John McGinn, Youri Tielemans, and Boubacar Kamara were still unavailable.
Aston Villa’s Initial Lineup: Emiliano Martinez, Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres, Lucas Digne, Jadon Sancho, Amadou Onana, Morgan Rogers, Douglas Luiz, Emiliano Buendia, Ollie Watkins
Aston Villa’s Bench Players:, Marco Bizot, Victor Lindelof, Tyrone Mings, Ross Barkley, Tammy Abraham, Ian Maatsen, Lamare Bogarde, Leon Bailey, Alysson
Wolves Versus Aston Villa Statistics
- Wolves have claimed victory in five of their last seven Premier League fixtures at home facing Villa (D1 L1) and are undefeated in five encounters since a 1-0 defeat in December 2020.
- Rob Edwards’ side did not manage to score in a league-leading 15 distinct Premier League matches this season. Only during 2009/10 (17) and 2021/22 (16) did they experience more instances of failing to score in a single campaign.
- Each of Wolves’ preceding seven Premier League victories (since March 2025) had been against teams in the lower seven, with those sides having a mean standing of 17th. They had been without a victory in 17 matches against teams in the upper half (D5 L12) since a 1-0 win at Bournemouth in February 2025.
- Their tally of conceding the initial goal in 22 separate Premier League fixtures this season is the poorest among all teams. Of the 40 teams to participate in over 200 matches in the competition, Wolves have allowed the opening goal in the largest proportion of their games (59.6%, doing so in 266 of 446 matches).
- Villa had claimed victory in three of their last four Premier League clashes with Wolves (L1), equaling their tally from the preceding 15 encounters (D6 L6).
- They did not achieve a Premier League double in this particular fixture for the first time since 2003/04.
- Since a streak of eight consecutive Premier League victories between November 9 and December 27 this season, Villa have not seen a consistent outcome in any of their past 10 matches (LWDLWLDWDL), most recently having consecutive draws in September against Everton and Sunderland.
- Three of Villa’s most recent four Premier League goals occurred within the final five minutes of regular play (88th, 86th, and 88th), while they scored 63.2% of their goals in the second half of their matches (24/38).
- Only in 2015/16 (70.4%), 1999/00 (69.6%), and 2007/08 (66.2%) have they registered a greater proportion of goals during the second half of a Premier League season.
What Awaits for Wolves and Aston Villa? Upcoming Matches, Timetable
Wolves welcome Liverpool, one of the clubs pursuing Villa, for two matches within a single week: in the league competition on Tuesday (20:15) and for the FA Cup fifth-round tie on Friday (20:15).
Villa entertain Chelsea on Wednesday (19:30), then travel to face French club Lille for the initial leg of the Europa League Round of 16 on March 12 (17:45).