While Villa have been busy establishing them as one of the teams to fear in the league, Wolves have been involved in a tight relegation battle.
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Wolverhampton Wanderers’ players will be eager to bounce back after suffering a humiliating defeat in their last Premier League game. They were beaten 6-0 by an in-form Brighton side at the AMEX Stadium. The fixture does not get easier for them, as Aston Villa travel to Molineux Stadium next for an exciting league game. Both teams have been experiencing contrast forms in recent months. While Villa have been busy establishing them as one of the teams to fear in the league, Wolves have been involved in a tight relegation battle.
Wolves are currently placed 14th in the Premier League table, with 37 points from 34 games. Their manager Julen Lopetegui believes they are still very much in the middle of the relegation fight. “We need points to achieve our aim. We had this need the last match and Saturday too, in the same way a challenge. It’s about the will to win because this is our aim, and we have to achieve our aim. It’s going to be hard, it’s going to be long, and we have to be ready in the good and bad moments,” he was quoted as saying by their club’s website in his pre-match press conference.
“We are in the middle of the battle. We are in the middle of the war, like a lot of teams. That’s why we have to put out 100 per cent energy in the next match. This is football so we have to be ready until the end. Saturday we have a challenge and I’m sure the fans are going to understand the importance of the match, we are going to need this help, this environment, this energy in the bad moments. I am sure the fans are going to help a lot in the next match.”
The manager then provided fitness update on two of their important players – Nelson Semedo and Chiquinho – ahead of the Aston Villa contest. “He [Semedo] has had a knee problem, it’s a very dangerous problem, and that’s why he’s rested the two days, and now he’s started working with the group. We’re going to see if he’s fit or not fit for the next match. It’s true, he’s [Chiquinho] working again with the rest of the group. Of course, he’s so far away for the moment, but it’s a good thing for him because he has been out for a lot of months, so it’s not easy for the players. Always it’s good energy when the players are coming,” he explained.
After their embarrassing defeat in the last match against Brighton, Wolves supporters will be eager for a response in the next game. Speaking about the reaction to the Brighton defeat, Julen Lopetegui said, “In the same way if you’ve won or lost, you have to refocus on the next challenge you have. Of course, we are involved in a very hard race to be out of relegation, this is a big aim for all of us and we have to put out focus on Saturday’s match against the second best team in the second part of the season.”
“We were not happy of course, but it sometimes happens. We analysed inside with the players, and we have to be ready for the next challenge full of energy, full of confidence, because we are fighting for a big aim, a very hard aim, with a lot of teams involved. We are going to be there until the end, so we have to be ready for the next match.”
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