Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Aston Villa. Premier League.
Molineux.
Report and free highlights as Anwar El Ghazi sees Aston Villa back to winning ways after back-to-back league defeats; Douglas Luiz and Wolves' Joao Moutinho both sent off in game where Mike Dean shows 11 yellow cards
Saturday 12 December 2020 19:51, UK
Anwar El Ghazi's 94th-minute penalty saw Aston Villa beat Wolves 1-0 at Molineux, in a bad-tempered game where both sides ended with 10 men.
Substitute El Ghazi stepped up from 12 yards after John McGinn had been tripped by Nelson Semedo inside the Wolves box, although Villa also had a sensational performance from goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez to thank for their first points in three games.
He had earlier twice denied Leander Dendoncker with superb stops while 18-year-old Wolves forward Fabio Silva hit the base of the far post with the game goalless.
Villa looked likely to be left holding onto a point after Douglas Luiz was sent off for a second yellow card shortly before El Ghazi's penalty. But both sides ended the game with 10 men as Joao Moutinho followed him down the tunnel in the dying seconds for another second bookable offence, with Mike Dean showing 11 yellow cards across the 90 minutes in a stop-start affair.
Stopping two defeats becoming three was key for Aston Villa boss Dean Smith whose side have gone off the boil in recent games - and in the opening half-hour they kept their hosts quiet at Molineux, while leaving Rui Patricio scrambling to ensure Ezri Konsa's header from Jack Grealish's corner was heading the right side of his near post.
Daniel Podence's strong drive seven minutes from the interval sparked a sudden upturn in Wolves' attacking fortunes, with Dendoncker's toe-poke turned away by Martinez moments later before Grealish's shoulder deflected another Podence effort wide.
After an opening period including more yellow cards than shots on target - including the 3,000th of referee Mike Dean's professional career - it was no surprise it took 12 minutes of the second period to produce the first chance of note, when Douglas Luiz fired Grealish's lay-off just wide from the edge of the area.
Moments later Pedro Neto ended a jinking run inside off the touchline by firing just wide from a presentable position with Martinez looking beaten, before a Grealish free-kick was not much further away and nestled on the top of the net at the other end.
There was still little to suggest the manic ending which would follow when Fabio Silva fired Podence's pass against the woodwork and inches from the opener, but as the clock ticked into its final 10 minutes Martinez was at his best to deny Dendoncker again, palming away his close-range volley to safety to keep Villa level.
As the yellows continued to rack up, including two in one move for Matt Targett and Konsa, it was no great surprise when lightning struck twice, as Douglas Luiz left Dean with little choice than to issue a second booking for leading with his elbow in a challenge with Podence.
But instead of grounding out a 0-0 for the final five minutes, Villa stole the points in added time as McGinn got the wrong side of Semedo before going to ground inside the Wolves box. Penalty.
Up stepped El Ghazi to succeed where Ollie Watkins had failed against West Ham and hammer home the winner from 12 yards, but there was still time for Moutinho's outstretched leg to earn him his marching orders with a second yellow of his own for bringing down Jacob Ramsey.
Wolves head coach Nuno Espirito Santo told BT Sport: "It's always disappointing to [lose] a game where we played well, but that is more important. I haven't seen the images of the penalty but in both boxes, the situations that were, the referee judged, the VAR saw it - we keep going.
"The first half was a very intense game with a lot of fouls, both teams very tight, and I think in the second half we controlled the game, created a lot of situations, had good chances, clear chances, and that's what we will try to keep on growing in these aspects. We need to be more clinical."
Aston Villa manager Dean Smith: "It's a great result to come to Wolves, keep a clean sheet and get a win. We never really created big chances and when they countered and had spells of good pressure, we were indebted to our goalkeeper. It was a really good away performance from the whole team.
"That's four clean sheets from five on the road, that's been excellent for us, we know we can go anywhere and compete. We need to improve our home form but it feels like there are no home games at the moment with no fans there.
"He [Martinez] made a superb save late on, his one-handed save in the first half was very good too. That's what we bought him in for, he's a good goalkeeper, calm and composed and keeps the ball out of the back of the net."
The main reason Wolves drew a blank at Molineux despite seven shots on target was down to the continued fine form of Aston Villa's shining star Martinez, who twice made flying stops from Dendoncker and was alert and agile all afternoon.
Wolves' next game sees them host Chelsea at Molineux on Tuesday at 6pm.
Aston Villa take on Burnley at Villa Park on Thursday at 6pm.
