In case you've been wondering, I'm doing a post about new players and those that left at the end of the window. I'm not ignoring what's going on, but what's going is is going on and we all see it happening. I'm focusing on the posts that matter.
And today it's Wolves, three days after the Champions League. We don't seem to do well after we've played a Champions League match and now we have a local derby. Today will be tough.
And I write that with Wolves in the bottom three having picked up zero points in January. It's because they have a new manager that is saying all the right things and last time out, they only lost to Arsenal 1-0 and in January they also played Chelsea, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest.
Some might say they're due a good result and the fact is we struggle with the match that follows Champions League football. Brace yourself. But we should have enough, we really should. But football is a funny old game.
And I can't write a post and not mention Wednesday night. And what a night. We needed to win to stand a chance and the manager and team delivered. By delivering, results went our way and we find ourselves with two less games and that will be very valuable for us.
And what about Morgan Rogers. Better still, what about the football. There were parts, certainly early on, where we looked very dangerous and in fairness, we could have won with a bigger margin. I thought Wednesday was going to be tougher than it was and I think today is going to be tough, make of this as you will.
I'll be back later. The sun is shining and lots of fresh snow today. I'll be hitting the slopes.
Match facts from the BBC
Head-to-head
-
Aston Villa won the reverse fixture 3-1 and are vying to achieve the league double over Wolves for the first time since the 2003-04 season.
-
Wolves have won five of the past seven league meetings at Molineux, with their only defeat during that period coming in the top flight in December 2020.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
-
Wolves earned seven points from their first three league matches under Vitor Pereira but are now in danger of losing five in a row for the second time this season.
-
They have conceded a league-high 19 goals from set pieces this season, excluding penalties.
-
The Black Country side have let in an unrivalled 28 second-half goals in the top flight this season.
-
Wolves' average of 2.26 goals conceded per league game is their worst since 1932-33.
-
They have committed 303 fouls in the Premier League during the current campaign, second only to Bournemouth's 309 after 23 matches.
Aston Villa
-
Villa are winless in their past six league games following Champions League fixtures, with three home draws and three away defeats.
-
Their only win in seven top-flight away matches, and only clean sheet in 13, came against Everton on 15 January.
-
However, they are yet to lose a Premier League fixture under Unai Emery against a side starting the day in the relegation zone (W13, D5).
-
Aston Villa have dropped points in five of the past nine Premier League games in which they led at half-time (W4, D4, L1).
-
The Villans have conceded 11 goals after the 75th minute in the current campaign, second only to Southampton's tally of 12.
-
Villa, Nottingham Forest and Liverpool have scored a joint-high eight Premier League headed goals this season prior to the weekend fixtures.
-
This season, Ollie Watkins has missed a league-high 19 of his 28 big chances – defined as a situation in which a player is expected to score.