There may not be a better manager to get a team promoted from the second tier than Steve Bruce but this feisty Midlands derby will have left him in no doubt as to how big a task it is to turn around Aston Villa’s fortunes. They led here through Jonathan Kodjia’s 15th-minute penalty but that was cancelled out by Helder Costa’s own spot-kick and on another day Wolves could have won at a canter.
Wigan’s draw with Burton earlier in the afternoon meant Villa kicked off in the relegation places and, although a fifth straight home draw meant they climbed to 20th, it was abundantly evident that many of the issues that plagued Roberto Di Matteo’s short reign remain.
This may still be an early stage of the campaign but factoring in the strong starts made by the other two sides to be relegated last season – Norwich and Newcastle – plus the strength in depth of the other promotion contenders, automatic elevation to the top flight already looks out of reach.
“There’s a lot of work to be done,” Bruce said. “That’s why I’m sitting here, of course. But you couldn’t fault the attitude.” He did, however, take issue with his team’s fitness level. “We tired badly, which was alarming. Some could be better in condition.”
The game was played at a frantic tempo throughout but there was little attacking substance before Jack Grealish exchanged passes with Ross McCormack on the left and continued goalwards 14 minutes in. Dominic Iorfa tried to keep up but in doing so tripped Grealish from behind. Kodjia converted the penalty into the right corner, though Carl Ikeme was close to getting a hand on it.
Wolves should have had a penalty nine minutes later when James Chester handled but play continued, however there was no denying the visitors the opportunity to level from 12 yards in the 34th minute as Aly Cissokho’s raised arm blocked Costa’s ferocious effort from 20 yards. The winger stepped up and gave Pierluigi Gollini no chance.
Kodjia, Di Matteo’s biggest signing, had the first notable effort from open play two minutes later with a half-volley turned over the bar by Ikeme. Not too long afterwards, Grealish was fortunate to remain on the pitch after planting his studs on the calf of Conor Coady when both went to ground following a foul from the Wolves midfielder. “It was handbags, the referee got it spot-on,” Bruce added.
Wolves dominated the second half but could not convert any of their numerous good chances. Costa found the side netting at the end of a rampaging run down the left before curling narrowly wide from the right side of the penalty area, and Prince Oniangué was also a whisker away from breaking through whenlatching on to a delicious Costa cross.
Jon Dadi Bodvarsson unsuccessfully claimed another penalty midway through, after a shove from Chester, and the substitutes Nouha Dicko and Ivan Cavaleiro both had late chances. “We played with spirit, attitude and courage,” said the Wolves manager, Walter Zenga. “We did a great game from the first minute.”
In contrast Villa mustered little and Bruce’s headache was deepened by calf injuries to Micah Richards and Tommy Elphick, who both needed to be replaced, denying him an opportunity to spring Jordan Ayew or Rudy Gestede from the bench.
