Wolves move out of the drop zone

WOLVERHAMPTON, Feb 2: Struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers stunned high-flying rivals Aston Villa 2-0 in the Midlands Derby on Saturday to end a run of four straight defeats and move out of the Premier League relegation zone. Jean-Ricner Bellegarde scored the opener in the 12th minute, lighting up Molineux with an angled shot rifled in at the near post after Pablo Sarabia played the ball through, and Matheus Cunha made it 2-0 deep into second-half stoppage time.
The three points, against a side who sealed a Champions League last 16 spot in midweek, lifted Wolves out of the bottom three on a day when relegation-threatened rivals Ipswich Town and Leicester City both lost.
“We played as a team with true spirit, working together and suffering together,” said Wolves manager Vitor Pereira after his side’s first league win of 2025.
“We know it’s a long way, a difficult way. With our supporters and this spirit we can do it.”
Villa, who made four substitutions at the break and had a goal disallowed in the second half, stayed eighth in the standings — missing an opportunity to close the gap to fourth-placed Manchester City from four points to one.
Their third win under Pereira was a massive boost for Wolves, whose next league game is a daunting trip to runaway leaders Liverpool, and lifted them to 17th on 19 points and two clear of Leicester.
Wolves missed an early opportunity to go 2-0 up in the 36th minute when Brazilian Cunha muscled clear on goal but Emiliano Martinez saved the shot and Goncalo Guedes then fired a second attempt wide.
Guedes missed an even better opportunity in the 44th when he went one-on-one with Martinez, who dived to cover as the ball flew well clear of the post, as Wolves finished the half looking the more-together team.Villa boss Unai Emery rang the changes, taking off striker Ollie Watkins, who had looked uncomfortable in a first half without a single shot on target from the visitors.
“Watkins had a small pain and hopefully it is not a big injury he has,” the manager told Sky Sports.
Villa were almost level nine minutes later when Donyell Malen had the ball in the net after a neatly-taken free kick, only for Morgan Rogers to be flagged offside in the build-up. (Reuters)