Wolves today, match facts from the BBC and Southgate

I woke up this morning, looked at the table and thought, this is good. With a game in hand on the sides below us, if results go our way today and they could, we could end up third. Second if we had another result like last weekend, but I'm not getting carried away.

But this is where we want to be when waking up on a Sunday because it's in our hands.

That isn't to say today is a formality. Wolves are a decent side and any side can win on the day in this League. Look at Manchester United yesterday. Look at Spurs last week. Today isn't a day to take our foot off the gas.

Actually, today is the day when three points is probably more important than it usually is. Lose today and we're three points from Manchester United in tenth place and then things become too close for comfort. Win today and things feel much better, even if it is only six points. 

In other news, Ollie Watkins signed a new contract and got called up to the England squad. The England manager and former Aston Villa player Gareth Southgate spoke of 'recency bias' when selecting Watkins and I have to say, I think he's sat in one too many workshops and is picking up terms and thinking he understands them.

But I have the feeling that is how we will ultimately remember Southgate as a manager. He got lucky in the World Cup and failed in the Euros and now he's talking rubbish. 

But he doesn't care and that I think is the core of the problem. He thinks he is above it.

But, it's not about him, it's about Aston Villa at Wolves. Match facts below, I've got to go get some breakfast. Back soon.

Match facts from the BBC

Head-to-head

• Wolves are unbeaten in the last four meetings, winning three times.
• Aston Villa have lost five of their past six league matches at Molineux.
• Villa are two shy of becoming the fourth club to score 200 top-flight goals against Wolves, emulating Everton, Manchester City and Arsenal.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

• Wolves are vying to win consecutive league fixtures for the first time since April.
• They have won five of their previous eight top-flight home matches (D1, L2), keeping a clean sheet in four of those wins.
• Wolves have failed to score in just one of 13 Premier League fixtures at Molineux in 2023 (D1, L4) - that was a 1-0 defeat in February versus a Bournemouth team then managed by Gary O'Neil.
• Hwang Hee-chan has scored five of Wolves' last nine Premier League goals.
• Hwang can become the first player to net in five consecutive top-flight home games for Wolves since John Richards did so in six successive matches in 1973.

Aston Villa

• Villa have taken 15 points from their opening seven matches - the only Premier League season they have started better was 1998-99, with 17 points.
• Unai Emery's side have earned 42 points from their past 20 top-flight matches (W13, D3, L4) - only Manchester City have a better record over the same period.
• They are two shy of scoring at least 20 goals in their opening eight top-flight matches for the first time since 1932.
• Matty Cash is set to make his 100th Premier League appearance.