Toti Gomes scored his first goal for Wolves as Julen Lopetegui's side secured a fourth straight home victory, moving 10 points clear of the relegation zone and all but ending Aston Villa's European ambitions. The 1-0 win in the derby at Molineux lifted Wolves to 40 points, making relegation a mathematical impossibility barring a remarkable set of results.
Lopetegui, who took over when Wolves were bottom at Christmas with 10 points, described keeping the club in the Premier League as the most difficult achievement of his coaching career. 'Today I showed more emotion, I am human,' he said. 'We've suffered a lot.' The Spaniard added that the feat surpassed winning the Europa League and taking Sevilla into the Champions League.
Villa, beaten 1-0 at Manchester United the previous week, saw their 10-game unbeaten run ended. Unai Emery's side remain eighth, a point behind Brighton with three games remaining, including a final-day clash with the Seagulls. 'I'm frustrated with the result,' said Emery. 'We had good positioning but in the second half the rhythm went down.'
The decisive moment came in the ninth minute when Rúben Neves' corner found Gomes, who powered a header off the bar from 12 yards. Villa had chances, with Ollie Watkins heading straight at José Sá and Tyrone Mings volleying over from six yards, but Wolves' defence held firm. The win was Wolves' first in four top-flight home games since 1975.
