It finished 2-0 to Wolves when these sides last met back in February, as Matheus Cunha and Jean-Richer Bellegarde both got on the scoresheet in a convincing victory for the hosts. That result meant Aston Villa have won just two of the last eight head-to-head meetings against Wolves. 

However, both wins came in the most recent encounters at Villa Park. Last season, Unai Emery’s men eased to a 3-1 victory against their local rivals, thanks to goals from Ollie Watkins and Ezri Konsa. There were six goals across the two meetings between Aston Villa and Wolves last season, with over 1.5 goals landing in seven of the last eight meetings in total. 

Wolves are still yet to keep a clean sheet after 12 Premier League games this season, and they have shipped multiple goals in eight of those matches, including each of the last five. 

Wolves have been absolutely dreadful at the back - with 27 goals conceded in the league so far, they are statistically the worst defensive unit in the English top flight. Wolves showed few signs of improvement in their first game under Rob Edwards, and it seems they could be in for a long night at Villa Park. 

After a stuttering start to the season, Unai Emery’s men have looked sharp in recent weeks, and they have won seven straight home matches coming into this clash. The Villains are averaging 6.0 shots on target per match in that stretch, forcing at least three saves from the opposition goalkeeper in five out of seven. 

Meanwhile, Sam Johnstone has been kept busy in recent weeks, with 21 saves made across his last six Premier League starts. The 32-year-old might not have expected to have such a big role going into this season, but he certainly has earned his paycheck. 

Boubacar Kamara was afforded a rest midweek, making a brief 10-minute appearance off the bench against Young Boys. The Frenchman has been a key figure in the Premier League, and will likely partner Youri Tielemans in midfield at the weekend. 

Wolves rank top of the Premier League for total fouls committed this season, and their aggressive style seems set to persist under Rob Edwards. They racked up a total of 13 infringements against the Eagles, with midfielders Joao Gomes and Marshall Munetsi the prime culprits. The duo combined to commit a total of four fouls, as Crystal Palace midfielders Adam Wharton and Daichi Kamada were each fouled twice. 

Boubacar Kamara is averaging 2.08 fouls drawn per 90 in the Premier League this season, rising to 2.2 fouls drawn per 90 when playing at Villa Park. In fact, this selection has landed in three of his four home games, only failing against Man City.

With two goals to his name after just 12 Premier League appearances, Matty Cash has already doubled his goal-scoring tally of last season, and the Polish international comes into this clash in top form. 

Cash has landed this selection in nine of his last 10 Premier League matches. The 28-year-old registered two shots against both Liverpool and Tottenham, while even getting on the scoresheet against Man City and high-flying Sunderland. 

11 of his 12 efforts in total have come from outside the box, highlighting how he does fancy his chances from distance. If the space opens up, Cash tends to let fly, and he often stations himself at the edge of the box from corners. Wolves have offered very little defensive resistance this season, so Cash should be able to pick up some promising advanced positions. 

Toti Gomes racked up four fouls against Crystal Palace last weekend and was lucky not to pick up a caution from Anthony Taylor. The Portuguese international has looked a bit rusty at times this season, and wasn’t so lucky against Fulham just before the international break. Toti was booked after just 40 minutes and replaced at half-time with Wolves a man down. 

The 26-year-old was also sent off in gameweek two against Bournemouth, highlighting how he can be quite reckless with his challenges. Last season, Toti picked up seven yellow cards in 31 Premier League appearances. 

He was absent for the match at Villa Park last season, but was carded in this fixture in the 23/24 campaign. Toti has an excellent record against Aston Villa, with eight fouls accumulated across his four starts, including two bookings in the local derby.

With Chris Kavanagh at the whistle for this clash on Sunday afternoon, cards are a real target. The 40-year old referee has dished out 40 yellows and one red after ten Premier League appearances this season - his average of 4.2 cards per game is above the league average. 

John McGinn is another player with an excellent record for cards in this matchup, as he was cautioned at Molineux back in February. The Scottish international lasted just 45 minutes in the reverse fixture, but was booked in his only appearance against Wolves in the 23/24 campaign, committing three fouls in total. 

McGinn is certainly no stranger to a strong tackle, and his average of 1.61 fouls per 90 this season is amongst the highest in the Aston Villa squad. He was shown seven yellow cards in the Premier League last season and has two bookings to his name this term.

Rob Edwards opted for a strike partnership of Tolu Arokdare and Jorgen Strand Larsen in his first lineup as Wolves boss - two highly physical players. Wolves opted for quite a direct approach, and the two forwards contested a combined total of 19 duels, with four fouls between them. 

Assuming Rob Edwards persists with a similar setup at the weekend, Ezri Konsa will have to deal with those two, so he could be in for a testing afternoon. However, the Englishman thrives in these kinds of matchups and can be a tough player to face. Konsa is adept at drawing contact and buying soft free-kicks to alleviate the pressure on his side. 

He is averaging 1.43 fouls drawn per 90 this season across all competitions, and has drawn nine infringements in his last four starts alone. With a solid matchup against Wolves, this price stands out.