Dendoncker sinks Villa to boost Wolves’ Euro bid
Nuno Espirito Santo backed Wolves to step up their bid to qualify for the Champions League after Leander Dendoncker sealed a 1 – 0 win at Aston Villa that lifted them into fifth location inside the Premier League on Saturday .
Nuno’ s side made it three successive victories because the Premier League restart way to Dendoncker ’ s medical finish in the 2d half .
Wolves have yet to concede a aim following the coronavirus hiatus and are now simply two points behind fourth- located Chelsea and 3 beforehand of sixth- located Manchester United .
Both Chelsea and United have a game in hand on Wolves due to their FA Cup involvement this weekend.
But with fifth area doubtlessly imparting Champions League qualification if second – located Manchester City ’ s European ban is upheld , Nuno’ s guys are firmly in competition to play inside the continent ’ s elite club competition for the first time in 60 years.
“ What’ s in the front of us can be very difficult but it ’ s a welcome week to recover. We will put together ourselves to compete and see what happens , ” Nuno said .
“ I’ m very happy for Leander Dendoncker , he offers so much to us and he surely deserves this moment . ”
Wolves are unbeaten in eight league games and feature won 3 successive pinnacle – flight away matches for the primary time for the reason that 1980 .
In contrast , their struggling midlands rivals Villa are with out a win in eight league video games and stay rooted inside the relegation quarter on goal difference.
Second- backside Villa have now played a game more than the teams round them and have just six fits left.
With fixtures against Liverpool and Manchester United up next , Dean Smith’ s team are in serious hazard of an instantaneous return to the Championship .
“ We extra than matched a pinnacle -six crew today but they controlled to get a aim from the edge of the field out of not anything and we didn’ t convert the possibilities we had, ” Smith said .
– Threatening raid –
Smith had complained about the fixture agenda that noticed his crew gambling for the fourth time in eleven days .
His fears were showed when defender Matt Targett limped off with a leg injury after 10 minutes .
Wolves had been on pinnacle and Joao Moutinho ’ s free – kick turned into flicked goalwards through Raul Jimenez, but Orjan Nyland changed into well placed to save .
Matt Doherty led another threatening Wolves raid , the wing- again bursting into the Villa vicinity to shoot into the side– netting.
Villa captain Jack Grealish become being deployed in a crucial midfield role in preference to his usual wider function and he tested Rui Patricio with a low strike from the threshold of the location .
Nyland had got away with a horrendous mistake in Villa ’ s first game of the Premier League restart while he carried the ball into his own internet in opposition to Sheffield United , handiest for Hawk- Eye to fail to award the goal.
Luck changed into on Nyland ’ s aspect again when he threw the ball directly to Diogo Jota late within the first half , but the Wolves forward shot hurriedly over the bar with simply the blundering keeper to beat .
Douglas Luiz became narrowly off course from long variety as Villa tried to exchange the momentum inside the second half .
But Nuno sent on Adama Traore after the spoil and the electric winger without delay made an impact .
Dancing thru the Villa midfield, Traore found Jimenez and his raking pass reached Jonny, who teed up Dendoncker on the brink of the region .
Unleashing a perfectly- positioned low drive , the Belgian midfielder beat Nyland in fashion for his fifth purpose of the season .
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