Wolves move out of drop zone with win over Midlands rivals Aston Villa

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 round of 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 table -- missing an opportunity to close the gap to fourth-placed Manchester City from four points to one.

Their third win under new manager Vitor Pereira was a massive boost for Wolves, whose next game is a daunting trip to runaway leaders Liverpool, and lifted them to 17th on 19 points and two clear of Leicester.

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Wolves missed an early opportunity to go 2-0 up in the 36th minute when Cunha muscled clear on goal but Emiliano Martínez 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 Martínez, 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," Emery told Sky Sports.

The move had an immediate effect and 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.

The decision, controversial at least, was upheld by VAR.

"It was not offside because he did not touch the ball. But it is VAR's task. Even sometimes I think they are making mistakes," Emery said.

There was more confusion 20 minutes from time when Wolves tried to make a double substitution but then changed their minds on who was coming off and were left briefly with only 10 men on the field.

Villa increasingly tested the Wolves defence in the closing minutes, with goalkeeper Jose Sa making a good save in the 86th minute before Rogers was again flagged offside, and then again with his legs in the 90th.

Cunha, linked to a number of top clubs in the current transfer window, sealed the win with a flourish seven minutes into stoppage time and appeared to indicate to fans that he was staying.