Wolves are still waiting for their first Premier League win of the season after losing late to Aston Villa.
Just as it looked as though Wolves were going to earn a well-fought point at Villa Park, Gary O’Neil’s side conceded late once more.
After Ollie Watkins cancelled out Matheus Cunha’s first half strike, Ezri Konsa and Jhon Duran took the game away from the Old Gold, who continue their hunt for three points.
It was yet another instance of one half of the game being strong and the other being weak, as Wolves are yet to put together a wholly impressive 90 minutes of football in the 2024/25 Premier League.
Two Wolves players called out for their actions against Aston Villa
For what was a well-contested fixture in the first half, Wolves lost control after the interval, which played into Villa’s hands.
Some believe however that the Old Gold should have come away with a point, as journalist Liam Keen explained to Express and Star.
Evaluating the game, the Wolves expert called out the actions of Rayan Ait-Nouri and Mario Lemina in two moments that gave Villa the win.
“The defending in the second and third goals was incredibly poor, both back post errors.
“Particularly Lemina at the back post with Konsa and Ait-Nouri for Duran, I just think they have to do a hell of a lot better.”
The two goals were conceded in similar passages of play, with both efforts taking the game out of Wolves’ grasp as Konsa gave Villa the lead just before injury time.
Duran then rubbed salt in the wounds, cutting off the visitor’s route back into the fixture, extending O’Neil’s side’s run without a win.
Gary O’Neil has a lot to fix at Wolves
Last year, it was clear very early that O’Neil was the right man for the job however, similar woes have come back to haunt the squad from seasons prior.
Not only are Wolves incredibly short on depth, but the manager is not voicing his concerns appropriately, consistently branding his side as the underdogs.
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While it is a fact that the Old Gold were not the favourites to beat the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and even Villa, added belief has to be injected into the incredibly talented squad that is currently at Molineux.
Placing depth aside, the players available to O’Neil this term represents a vast upgrade on how things looked last season, reinforcing the need for results to come.
The concern is that things aren’t about to get any easier for Wolves, who face even more challenges ahead, with a change in approach and mentality perhaps required from the boss to ensure games aren’t continuously thrown away.