STEVIE: VILLA IN A DAZE
‘You cannot give teams a 2-0 start’
VITAL STATS WOLVES
ASTON VILLA 4 ............. Shots on Target ........... 5 4 ............. Shots off Target ........... 7 3 ............... Blocked Shots ............ 3 4 ..................... Corners ................... 9 15 ....................... Fouls ..................... 8 1 ...................... Offsides ................... 1 4 ................. Yellow Cards .............. 3 0 ................... Red Cards ................ 0 79.7 ..... Passing Success %.. 83.6 56 ................. Duels Won .............. 45 55.4 ....... Duel Success % ..... 44.6 23 .................... Tackles .................. 15 47.8 ......... Tackles Won % ...... 46.7 48.6 ......... Possession % ........ 51.4 42.9 ....... Territorial Adv % ...... 57.1 419 ............. Total Passes ......... 432 11 ................ Total Crosses ........... 22 131 ................. Lost Balls ............. 134 68 ................ Recoveries ............. 58 46.6 ........ 1st Half Poss % ...... 53.4 50.3 ...... 2nd Half Poss % ...... 49.7
ANGRY Steven Gerrard blasted his Aston Villa players for taking 70 minutes to “go to war” with their Midlands rivals.
Wolves were 2-0 up at half-time and cruising, but were left hanging on at the end as Villa desperately tried to play their Get out of Jail Free card.
What a mad, mad match it was – Wolves should have been home and hosed, but were left clinging on.
However Gerrard (right) wasn’t impressed.
He said: “We decided to have a war with Wolves, but that was after 70 minutes – it’s too late.
“You can’t give teams a two-goal start. We’re looking like a 45-minute team. I’ve got to fix it – and I will. We can’t keep giving sloppy goals away.
“We’re gifting teams really poor goals. We never came to a big derby game against local rivals until half-time.”
When the final whistle went, home skipper Conor Coady jumped into Jose Sa’s arms expressing his gratitude for a string of fine saves from his keeper. The Portugal international defied Gerrard’s men on numerous occasions and, along with Villa wasting big opportunities, his stops proved crucial.
Wolves boss Bruno Lage admitted he was worried after seeing his side surrender a 2-0 lead against
Leeds and lose 3-2.
He said: “I had the same feeling as against Leeds. First half we dominated everything, but 2-0 is such a dangerous score.
“We gave them the opportunity to try and turn around the game. We need to have the mentality to kill off the game and not give opponents the hope that they can come back.”
If Wolves were anxious about having star players Ruben Neves and Raul Jimenez missing, it didn’t show and with just seven minutes on the clock they stormed ahead.
A slip by Ezri Konsa gave Daniel Podence room to advance into the right-hand side of the box, and two blocked shots later Jonny took the loose ball high and lashed an unstoppable drive into the roof of the net.
A minute later, Fabio Silva wriggled past Tyrone Mings before getting in an angled drive which Emiliano Martinez beat away. Villa tried to hit back with a couple of long-range efforts, but they went further behind in the 36th minute. Ashley Young crouched to clear, but headed into his own net off the bar.
Wolves really should have made it 3-0 in first-half stoppage time when Leander Dendoncker had a clear shot at goal 10 yards out, but slashed the ball hopelessly wide.
Early in the second half, Ollie
Watkins shot wide when he should have done better, before Sa made a brilliant tip over to divert Philippe
Coutinho’s shot.
And in a fiercelyfought final 10 minutes, the game could have gone either way. Silva was denied by a brilliant Martinez save while at the other end Watkins should have scored – only to see Sa save with his feet.
But then, with four minutes left, Villa got the break they needed – albeit controversially when Watkins squeezed between Coady and Sa and tumbled to the ground.
Referee Darren England pointed to the spot and Watkins set up a grandstand finale by converting his penalty via the inside of the post.
It was nervewracking stuff, and it all got a bit tasty as players squared up to each other in the heat of battle.
Matty Cash was then left clutching his head in his hands as Sa got his knee in front of a goalbound injury-time shot.
No wonder Coady was so delighted. Victory that looked stitched on by half-time had come within a whisker of being snatched away.