(Football news) When these clubs faced off about six months ago, they played to a 1-1 tie and were unable to separate themselves. It is unlikely that many Aston Villa fans imagined their team sitting in the top four with nine Premier League games left. Although Aston Villa has every right to hope to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 1992, a dip in their performance before the international break has raised red flags.

Just one week after salvaging a point in a 1-1 draw at West Ham United, Aston Villa lost badly, 4-0, at home to Tottenham Hotspur, their top-four rivals. Michail Antonio’s first-half goal was cancelled out by Nicolo Zaniolo’s equalizer in the 79th minute.

Villa currently sit fourth in the table and only three points ahead of fifth-placed Spurs, who have a game in hand, but Emery’s men could swap places with the North Londoners before kicking a ball against Wolves if Ange Postecoglou’s side beat Luton Town a few hours earlier on Saturday afternoon.

Earlier this season, Villa Park had developed into a fortress, but since the turn of the year, the Lions have lost three of their four home league games, as many as in Emery’s first 23 such matches in charge. They have also conceded 11 goals during this run which is three more than they managed in their previous 10 home fixtures.

With challenging encounters against Manchester City and Arsenal on the horizon, Villa will be keen to return to winning ways this weekend, but success is not a given against Wolves as they have failed to win any of their last six Premier League meetings with the Old Gold.

Wolves were unable to enter the international break on a high as they crashed out in the FA Cup quarter-finals at the expense of West Midlands rivals Coventry City, who claimed a dramatic 3-2 victory at Molineux.

The Old Gold thought they had won the enthralling encounter when Rayan Ait-Nouri and Hugo Bueno scored in the final 10 minutes to put the hosts 2-1 ahead, but Coventry scored twice in stoppage time, including a 100th-minute winner from Haji Wright, to send the second-tier outfit to Wembley for a semi-final showdown with Manchester United.

While a disappointed Gary O’Neil rued his side’s missed opportunities, Wolves can now focus fully on their remaining 10 Premier League games as they endeavour to climb from their current position of ninth and reduce the three and six-point gaps that separate them from seventh-placed West Ham United and sixth-placed Man United respectively.

Wolves, who are unbeaten in their last 10 league games in which they have scored the first goal and have won each of the previous seven, will be looking to seize control of the game early on in Saturday’s encounter against Aston Villa in order to boost their chances of advanced to the European round.

Wolves (22), who will be attempting to extend their undefeated run at Villa Park to five games this weekend, have only accrued more Premier League points since Christmas Eve than Man City (30), Arsenal (28) and Liverpool (27).

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