PAUL MERSON'S BRUTAL VERDICT: WOLVES CAN BREAK LOWEST PREMIER LEAGUE POINTS RECORD
Paul Merson delivers a brutal verdict on Wolves, predicting a comfortable 3-0 win for Aston Villa and suggesting they could break Derby's low-points record.
Wolves' chances of getting relegated are getting worse every week. With Aston Villa coming up, that could become even more likely—at least, that's what Paul Merson thinks.
This game is Rob Edwards’ first away match, and it's unclear how he'll turn the team around.
The team really lacks quality, and the stats show it. Wolves have only scored seven goals but have let in 27.
Fans might hope Edwards can inspire a win like Wolves' 3-2 victory against Villa in 2021, but right now, optimism is hard to come by.
And Paul Merson definitely isn’t helping.
Paul Merson doesn’t think Wolves have any chance against Aston Villa
If Rob Edwards was hoping for support before playing Aston Villa, he won't find it with Paul Merson.
The former Arsenal player turned commentator has shared his predictions for the weekend and gave Wolves a harsh review.
Wolves desperately need a win, having gone 12 Premier League games without one. If you include last season, that stretches to 16 games.
But, Paul Merson isn't convinced that their losing streak will end at Villa Park.
Wolves’ comeback win at Villa Park in 2021 was amazing. It was definitely one of the best Wolves moments since their promotion in 2018.
In his Sportskeeda column, Merson wrote, “I don’t think Wolves can win this weekend. It looks like Wolves might beat Derby County's record for the lowest points this season.”
“If you look at Wolves’ results, they lost to all three teams that were promoted. Their upcoming games don't look easy either. Before they know it, Wolves could be completely out of the relegation fight. I don’t think Wolves have a chance here; it seems too difficult for them. Villa will win easily.”
In the end, the commentator predicted a 3-0 win for Unai Emery’s team.
And if Rob Edwards wants any chance of winning, Wolves need to stop one of Aston Villa’s biggest strengths.
It’s a tough time to play Aston Villa. Wolves are playing at Villa Park at the worst possible time.
Villa is in great form, having won 18 of their last 21 possible points. They have climbed the table, going from 18th to fourth place.
Plus, any worries that playing in the Europa League would tire them out have been disproven by their results after those games.
Aston Villa have won all four of their Premier League games after playing in Europe that week.
Rob Edwards will need to do something really amazing this weekend.
VAR REVIEW: CHELSEA 2-2 BOURNEMOUTH, ESTêVãO PENALTY DRAMA EXPLAINED! WAS IT A FOUL OR A DIVE
Explaining the VAR: How an 11th-minute penalty check at Stamford Bridge saved a point for Chelsea against a resilient Bournemouth.
Every week, the Video Assistant Referee stirs up drama in the Premier League. Let's break down how these calls are made and if they're actually right.
This season, we're digging into the big moments to explain the VAR process and the rules of the game.
What went down: Chelsea's Estêvão was moving into the Bournemouth box, with Antoine Semenyo on his tail. Estêvão went down after some contact with Semenyo. The ref, Barrott, waved off Chelsea's penalty shouts, saying there wasn't a foul. He thought both players made contact naturally as they were running, and Estêvão basically tripped himself.
VAR said, "After looking at it, VAR Pawson suggested Barrott take another look at the monitor for a possible penalty because Semenyo might have tripped Estêvão."
VAR's take: Pawson had to figure out if the contact was just part of the play, like the ref thought, or if Semenyo fouled Estêvão. It was clear Estêvão tripped, but the question was how the contact started.
At first glance, it would be hard for Pawson to disagree with the ref because the main TV angle wasn't clear. But after checking out the sideline and behind views, Pawson saw that Semenyo stepped into Estêvão's path, making enough contact with his leg to cause him to trip.
Pawson told Barrott to check the monitor for a possible penalty. Barrott watched the replays, agreed, and gave Chelsea the penalty.
The call: It was a reasonable VAR call based on today's standards. But it's a borderline case.
Barrott seemed unsure of the monitor and needed some convincing from different angles.
A lot of the time, this kind of contact is just from players running normally, and someone goes down. To give a penalty, there really needs to be a clear foul by the defender. You could say that happened here, but it's a pretty low standard for VAR to get involved.
Chelsea 2-2 AFC Bournemouth
Referee: Sam Barrott
VAR: Craig Pawson
What: VAR check for a foul in the box
When: 11th minute
BREAKING: UNAI EMERY REVEALS THE REAL REASON BEHIND HIS COLD ARTETA HANDSHAKE SNUB NOW
Unai Emery explains why he skipped the post-match handshake as Arsenal’s 4-1 win ends Aston Villa’s 11-game streak at the Emirates.
Unai Emery said he didn't shake Mikel Arteta's hand right after Aston Villa lost at the Emirates Stadium since the Arsenal manager kept him waiting.
This loss stopped Villa's winning streak at 11 games, their first in almost two months.
Villa held their own in the first half, but Arsenal scored early in the second when Gabriel got to the ball before Emi Martinez on a corner.
Martin Zubimendi quickly made it 2-0, and Leandro Trossard scored a third goal a little after an hour had passed.
Soon after entering the pitch, Gabriel Jesus scored, making it 4-0. Ollie Watkins was able to respond by tapping in a goal late in the game after Donyell Malen's nice play.
After the game, Emery waited to shake Arteta's hand, but he went to the locker room since Arteta was still celebrating with his team.
It’s easy to see. I like to do things fast,” Emery said when asked about why he didn’t shake Arteta’s hand.
“I shake hands, then I go to the dressing room with my players and coaches. I was waiting.
“Arteta was busy with his coaches, so I went inside. It’s not a big deal for me.”
About the match, Emery commented, “We played great in the first half, and things were going our way. We had corners and defended well. We didn’t let them get a corner in the first half.
“We felt good, but we let in the first goal in the second half. Onana getting hurt didn’t help since he’s important for set pieces and in the midfield.
“We didn’t quit, and we kept playing hard. We scored one goal and almost scored more. Arsenal is the best team in the league and should win the title.
“I’m not sure which day it is since we’ve played Arsenal twice already, and we still have to play Nottingham. But I’m happy with our goals and how we're trying to attain them.