Pressure cooker, Wolves and bet of the day

Three nil away from home, third in the table with a game in hand on fourth and very much at the business end of the season. Many Aston Villa supporters wont remember the last time we had it so good in a season ... cue the responses that we're not in the Premier League and yes, there are prizes for stating the obvious.

This is our second season not in the Premier League and you can only compete in the League you are in. And I know this is obvious, but I'm afraid it has to be written.

And yes Sunderland were bottom of the table and yes it's proof that lucking into managing a national side is great for your career even if your win rate in that job is still average. But a three nil win away from home always feels good.

But today is a proper test, not because we can catch Wolves even if it's possible, but because we can get closer to Cardiff. To be a point or two away from Cardiff is where we want to be with four or five games to go. Pressure gets to everyone in the end and for all the experience their manager has, it gets to him and it will get to his players.

Wolves preview

Match facts from the BBC

  • Villa pair Lewis Grabban (15 - 12 of them for Sunderland) and Albert Adomah (13) have both scored more Championship goals this season than Wolves' two 12-goal top league marksmen Diogo Jota and Leo Bonatini. But Jota and Bonatini got the goals when Wolves beat Villa 2-0 at Molineux in October.
  • Wolves have not enjoyed a league double over their fellow former Football League founder members since the 1962-63 campaign, when both teams were in the top flight.
  • Villa's 1-0 Premier League defeat by Wolves in March 2011 is their only loss in their last 12 home derbies against the men in gold and black.
  • Wolves have won three of their last six meetings with Villa - as many as in their previous 32 games combined in all competitions.
  • In seven previous meetings with Wolves in the second tier, Steve Bruce has never lost a home league match.
  • By kick-off time on Saturday, Wolves will have been top of the Championship for 113 consecutive days - the longest run since Leicester City's 129 days in a row between December 2013 and May 2014.

Bet of the day

This isn't a complicated one for me as I'm having a tenner on us to win. I just have a feeling that things are going to work out for us today. Not sure why, but there you go. And you can get 47/20 at Unibet right now by clicking this link.