Raul Jimenez 8, Leander Dendoncker 8, Jack Grealish 6: Aston Villa v Wolves player ratings

Nuno Espirito Santo's side boost hopes of top-four finish, while pressure increases on struggling home side

Orjan Nyland - 6: Almost gifted Wolves the lead when ball slipped out of hand when throwing out but Jota failed to capitalise. No chance with goal. Reuters

Ezri Konsa - 6: Right-back did OK up against the dangerous Jonny. Reuters

Kortney Hause - 7: Good game from the powerful defender who was up against an in-form Jimenez.. EPA

Tyrone Mings - 6: Clumsy early booking and resulting free-kick almost resulted in a goal for Jimenez. Reuters

Matt Targett - NA: Picked up hamstring injury in first 10 minutes. EPA

Marvelous Nakamba - 6: Zimbabwean midfielder put in a decent shift without really influencing the game. PA

Douglas Luiz - 8: As important to Villa as Grealish. Great engine, strong in the tackle and quality distribution from the centre-midfielder. Getty

Conor Hourihane - 5: Quiet performance and provided little service to the strikers. AP

Jack Grealish - 6: Given his preferred free role and covered some ground over the 90 minutes without much success. Had Villa's only shot on target comfortably saved by Patrício. Reuters

Mbwana Samatta - 5: Thankless task for Villa's attacking pair who were left to feed off crumbs. AFP

Keinan Davis - 5: Offered little threat but was starved of service. EPA

Neil Taylor (sub Targett 11) 7: Early introduction after Targett's injury. Did well up against a good player in Wolves wing-back Doherty. PA

Ahmed Elmohamady - (sub Konsa 60) 5: No repeat of substitute's goal heroics at Newcastle. Reauters

John McGinn - (sub Hourihane 60) 5: Still finding his form after returning from injury. AFP

Trezeguet - (sub Nakamba 82) NA: No time to make an impact. AFP

Anwar El Ghazi - (sub Davis 82) NA: No time to make an impact

Rui Patricio - 6: Barely had a save to make with Villa offering little threat going forward. EPA

Romain Saiss - 7: Played his part in an excellent Wolves defensive performance. Getty

Conor Coady - 8: Fine display from the Wolves captain. Coped easily with Villa's direct play and battering-ram forward pair. Great distribution from back

Willy Boly - 7: Solid from the big defender. One important block on Grealish to stop the Villa midfielder shooting at goal in second half. Reuters

Matt Doherty - 6: Blasted into side netting in first half when ball across box was much better option. Reuters

Leander Dendoncker - 8: Great finish for opening goal and could have scored another from a Moutinho corner soon after. Reuters

Diogo Jota - 5: Blazed woefully over the bar after Villa keeper threw ball straight to his feet in first half. PA

Jonny - 7: Spaniard was a real handful down the left. A constant menace. Getty

Ruben Neves - 7: Always busy in the centre of the park for Wolves. Reuters

Joao Moutinho - 7: Some nice link-up play and passing from the Portuguese midfielder. AFP

Raul Jimenez - 8: No goals this time but always a threat up front. Headed straight at Nyland in first half after clever free-kick from Moutinho. Lovely ball into box that led to the Dendoncker goal. AP

Adama Traore - (sub Jota 60) 7: Pace immediately caused problems for Villa. AFP

Neto - (sub Jimenez 85): No time to make an impact. EPA

Leander Dendoncker maintained Wolves' Champions League charge and plunged Aston Villa deeper into relegation trouble.

Nuno Espirito Santo's side made it three successive victories since the Premier League restart thanks to Dendoncker's excellent finish in the second half that sealed a 1-0 win.

Wolves have yet to concede a goal following the coronavirus-enforced break and are now just two points behind fourth-placed Chelsea and three ahead of sixth-placed Manchester United.

Both Chelsea and United have a game in hand on Wolves due to their FA Cup involvement this weekend.

But with fifth place potentially offering Champions League qualification if second-placed Manchester City's European ban is upheld, Nuno's men are firmly in contention to play in the continent's elite club competition for the first time in 60 years.

"What's in front of us will be very tough but it's a welcome week to recover. We will prepare ourselves to compete and see what happens," Nuno said.

"I'm very happy for Leander Dendoncker, he gives so much to us and he truly deserves this moment."

Second-bottom Villa have now played a game more than the teams around them and have just six matches left.

"We more than matched a top-six team today but they managed to get a goal from the edge of the box out of nothing and we didn't convert the chances we had," said manager Dean Smith.

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