Aston Villa had impressed in recent matches but their defence looked poor against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Aston Villa’s defence may have stood firm on plenty of occasions this season, but their 2-0 defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday proved there is still a lot of work to be done as the Villans try to make it second time lucky in pursuit of promotion.
The previously impressive centre-back pairing of John Terry and James Chester was embarrassed by Wolves’ free-flowing attack and one wonders if that problem could ultimately prevent Villa from returning the Premier League in time for next season.
Terry is obviously coming to the end of his career, but Chester is not exactly the best option when coming up against pace and intelligent movement, and Wolves are not the only side with the players to cause Villa problems.
Promotion from the Championship can be decided by fine margins and Villa will know the points they take against the other top sides could decide which league they are playing in next season.
Villa’s problem is exacerbated by the fact that Chris Samba is their back-up option, and the 33-year-old is not exactly known for his speed, meaning that the problem could be an issue until at least January.
Villa’s lack of mobility stretches to midfield, where Glenn Whelan has quietly gone about his business without offering the spark needed to ignite attacks further forward.
For now, the workmanlike approach of some of Villa’s senior players has been offset by the creativity of others – most notably Keinan Davis and Albert Adomah – but it would not be a surprise if Bruce’s men fall short more than once when they face attacks similar to Wolves’.
Next up for Villa is a home match against Fulham and it will be interesting to see if they can hold the Cottagers at bay.
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