WHISTLE A HAPPY TOON!
Newcastle owe it to their resident Kenedy NEWCASTLE 3 SOUTHAMPTON 0
ASTON VILLA did what the Championship thought was impossible – and thrashed league leaders Wolves.
Every man and his dog has been tipping Wolves to run away with both the title and promotion, but Steve Bruce’s team left them licking their wounds.
They took the lead early through Albert Adomah and after Diogo Jota had equalised, Villa unleashed fury on the Molineux men in the second half.
James Chester, Lewis Grabban and finally sub Birkir Bjarnason took Wolves apart and hit them with their biggest defeat of the season.
Cardiff can certainly catch Wolves now and Villa, seven points behind in third place, must fancy their chances as well.
Premier League football is the prize these two are fighting for and they got a taste of what it will be like if they make it with a tremendous atmosphere at a packed Villa Park.
The decibels were raised even higher when Adomah put Villa ahead in the eighth minute.
Adomah has scored better goals in the 15 he has got so far this season, but this one, turned in on the line as Wolves failed miserably to deal with a Robert Snodgrass corner, was as important as any.
Mile Jedinak headed the corner back and although Wolves made attempts to clear it, they were scuffed efforts and out of the mess Adomah got the decisive touch as Grabban also scurried around.
Wolves’ form prior to their 3-0 midweek win at Leeds has been less impressive than their roaring start to the season.
And there was a big early question for them to answer here last night.
Cardiff, in second place, had closed the gap on Wolves to three points just
over half an hour before kick-off.
After 113 days as leaders of the Championship, how would Wolves react?
We found out by the 20th minute.
Held back by Villa’s vibrant start, Wolves finally raided dangerously down the right through Matt Doherty.
It was a bit like Villa’s goal in that it could have been avoided.
Doherty nutmegged Neil Taylor and got his pass into the penalty area.
Chester tried to clear but only diverted the ball, causing goalkeeper Sam Johnstone to be caught off balance.
Ahmed Elmohamady then became the last line of defence – but Jota got there first, three yards out, before Johnstone – and Wolves were level as the Portuguese stumbled the ball over the line.
It wasn’t the classiest goal but it got Wolves into their silky style after the early punch.
A sub-plot to the main script was Villa’s Jack Grealish versus Wolves’ Ruben Neves.
Bruce (right) had Grealish back after a month out injured. Neves returned from a ban and both had the responsibility of getting their teams ticking.
Neves tends to do it with his range of passing and Grealish with slight of foot.
Towards the end of the first half, Grealish was winning the contest. The game was left even, open and intriguing until Villa got their second.
The Snodgrass dead-ball delivery is a key Villa asset and his 57th-minute freekick was perfect for Chester to time his run and stretch out a leg to divert the ball past keeper John Ruddy. Five minutes later Villa took total control.
Grealish sent Adomah away down the left and Grabban was in front of Willy Boly to score.
Villa’s finale was a flourish. Sub Bjarnason turned with no danger or threat before running at Wolves to finish by hitting the fourth Villa goal.