Aston Villa were not at their best but stayed on course for a place in the Champions League next season with a 2-0 Premier League victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
Moussa Diaby and Ezri Konsa scored at Villa Park as the home side remain in fourth place with 59 points from 30 matches, three points ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, who have a game in hand and are their most likely challengers for a top-four finish.
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It was no classic, but a first win for Villa manager Unai Emery over Wolves at the seventh attempt ends a run of two Premier League games without a win, which had loosened his side’s grip on fourth place ever so slightly.
Wolves remain in 10th place with 41 points from 29 games and had their moments. Rayan Aït-Nouri missed a superb chance in the first half, but his side suffered back-to-back defeats after being dumped out of the FA Cup by Championship side Coventry City in their previous fixture.
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“We wanted to focus on our game and that is what we did, we got the three points and I got a goal myself, so happy days,” Konsa told Sky Sports.
“It’s a massive win, with Tottenham’s result earlier we knew we had to win. I don’t remember the last time we had a clean sheet so it is good as a defender.”
At this stage of the season Emery will not be overly concerned by how his wins come, but Villa lacked their usual ‘zip’ and against a stronger opponent may have been made to pay.
Ait-Nouri had excellent chance to give Wolves the lead when a cross found him in space at the back post, but with only Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez to beat and not a defender in sight, he saw his effort from six yards saved.
Villa should have been in front when Ollie Watkins was played in behind the Wolves defence, but his shot was into the side-netting.
The home side did take the lead nine minutes before halftime when a free kick was cleared to the edge of the box by Wolves and Diaby rifled his rasping shot into the top corner for an eighth goal of the season across all competitions.
Villa replaced England striker Watkins with Jhon Durán at halftime and they doubled their advantage midway through the second period.
Having offered little in attack to that point, they worked the ball to the right of the Wolves penalty box and Konsa’s attempted cross floated into the net at the back post.
“Disappointed with the result but that’s about all I’m disappointed with,” Wolves manager Gary O’Neil said.
“I felt the lads gave everything. More possession, more shots, higher expected goals, but that doesn’t help us much.
“There was no giving up or excuses made, it wasn’t quite enough but we have to accept that.”
Wolves gave a debut to 18-year-old striker Leon Chiwome.