Have a Good NEWS

Welcome to the first top-of-the-table showdown of the season. Well, if you insist on publishing the rankings so early ...

In any case, this game promises, fourth against the third party to be a cracker. Both teams started the season very well, above expectations - and Villa fans stared in disbelief at the appointment of Blues boss Alex McLeish to have had none - and both are hoping for something from this game. Wolves have to keep a 100% record and have won here 1-0 last season, their chances of doing this fantasy. Especially since they always score in the villa, with at least one goal in all but one of their last eight league visits. But Villa are hard to beat around here at Villa Park to defeat the wolves in March, their only defeat was here in their last ten Premier League games.

Luke Young, who held talks with QPR yesterday after the two clubs agreed a fee, is ruled out with a knee problem; Chris Herd is in his stead:Since, stove, Dunne, Collins, Warnock, Bent N 'Zogbia, Petrov, Delph, Agbonlahor, Heskey.
Subs: Guzan, Ireland, Albrighton, Delfouneso, Makoun, Clark, Bannan.

Wolverhampton Wanderers name an unchanged side for the third league game: Hennessey, Stearman, Berra, Johnson, Ward, Jarvis, Henry, O'Hara, Hunt, Fletcher, Doyle.
Subs: De Vries, Elokobi, Kightly, Vokes, Hammill, Milijas, Foley.

Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire)

Kick-off: A take-a-good-look-at-where-your-life-is-heading-if-you 've managed-to-get-drunk, 12.05.

The Atmosphere: As you 'd expect for West Midlands derby, it' \ s blistering. I hope no one 's no longer in the pub on the way here. On the sideline, share the manager Alex McLeish and Mick McCarthy a laugh. I can 't be sure, but McLeish aware McCarthy flash a quick look at his tactics pad? Certainly not. No, he can 't have. But what drip for a move that would be the steady drip, drip of disinformation ...

And we 're off! Within seconds of kick off a triple substitution McCarthy and changes in its formation. Oh no, he order doesn 't. The two teams take turns, failing to keep hold of the ball. It 'sa scrappy start.

4 min: Wolves begin to settle in, the more impressive of the two thus far. Doyle caused a lot of trouble on the right, while Hunt is good to see a piece of the ball in the middle.

5 min: A few blocks down the right for wolves, Doyle and Hunt again what all kinds of difficulties.

6 min: Delph is booked for a late-clack on the knuckle of Jarvis. The free kick on the right side, in the Hunt swung and tipped over the bar by Given. The resulting corner comes to nothing, but that's a really safe and expressive start of wolves. If there was anything on McLeish 's pad, it was probably a game of hangman, or a picture of a cock and balls.

8 min: Petrov takes the ball into the middle half of the wolves, turns and strikes a low shot narrowly wide from 25 yards left. Not a great effort, not a horrible either. And yet something is better than nothing at all by the home team, who have otherwise begun, very slowly.

11 min: Villa win a free kick 30-plus yards. N 'Zogbia applies for a goal but only managed to rattle the ball directly onto the wall. That was absurd ambitious. "If, say, a friend of mine was still drunk from last night," writes Jon Comlay, one of Jon Comlay 's best buddy, "he would still have a good look at his life take is I don 't think he' s in the mood for introspection so early on weekends and holidays. "

14 min: A terrible moment as Herd, looking to get his head on a ball whipped into the near post from the Villa right, whacks his face on the woodwork. Ouch. He's down for a couple of minutes getting treatment.

17 min: A strong run from Agbonlahor on the left Villa wins a corner. 'T get as far as the mixer, but wolves Stream upfield by Stearman and O' The ball doesn \ Hara. Finally, the ball 's swung over to Doyle, but it' s too high for the striker. That looked dangerous for a second, but no. Nothing 's coming out for both teams at the moment.

20 min: Doyle swings a deep cross from the left on Hunt, who doesn 't catch his close-range header at the far post flush. Given the situation, to parry, and switch the ball from the danger area.

24 min: There really isn 't go far. It 's kind of weird, because most of the game is played at the ends of the playing field, there' s not too much faffing around in the middle, but will stick aren 't. And when teams win free kicks in dangerous positions or corners of junk they them. Pah.

25 min: Finally, some action! Agbonlahor skins Stearman down the left and zips a low cross towards the six-yard box. On the corner, just to the left of goal, Heskey slides in and whips a hard, low effort Inch far from the post office. Half the crowd thought it was in, and no wonder. Fine, incisive football.

28 min: "Why in the world, there are two games before kick-off 03.00 clock today?" Ask Nick Turnbull. "I don 't think, Wigan and QPR were this week in Europe that still wouldn'. T make sense to actually just announced the radio commentary positions. '! Heskey just wide ... "At least one thing' s don 't change" Here'. s even more classic Heskey: Delph together and Petrov slip a few passes to create space before the land at a great striker, but with time to shoot, he accidentally knocks the ball forward and toe loses possession of the kind. action to be accompanied by a muted trumpet soundtrack.

31 min: Villa Wolves push back on the right, to find the ball O 'Hara in the middle, left, flashes the header. It 's not terrible, this game, but it' s all a bit ... I do not know ... it 's all a bit nearly.

34 min: A brilliant finish from Petrov on the inside-left channel, free from a delicious ball from Warnock on the wing. Petrov reached the source, but with Heskey and N 'Zogbia it cries in the middle, sending his low too close to Hennessey, which boldly claims the shoes of Heskey. "Is it a good hard look at one 's waste of life, and despondency in the suppression of feelings of predictability in high-profile football, over a cup of tea at home, if you hasn' gone t to t 'Match? "asks Alex Simpson. "I have a feeling that at the beginning of the season optimism shouldn 't last beyond August." I love you in a bad way to sound. It 's not a cup of gin, you' re weigh, is it?

38 min: At last, an extended period of pointless midfield passing. Wolves will be perfectly happy with this. The Villa crowd appear less so. They're not agitated, just quiet.

40 min: A corner for Villa on the left. Petrov swings it in to the edge of the penalty area six, where at the near post, stove flicks a header wide left and high. Do not see a big effort, but a brave, he took a hell of a clatter on the past.

43 min: Villa see the ball a lot, but nothing to do with him. "As someone who has never felt the need to invoke a right to brag, I hate the term 'brag' to brag but if this game isn 't over, what is that?" Puzzle Gary Naylor The Gyles Brandreth de nos jours . "The battle for the prestigious tenth place come the end of the season?"

45 min: O 'Hara is booked for a cynical trip on Petrov as the Villa man looks specifically burst into the room in the middle.

45 min +2: From the edge of the area Dunne, shovels that Nándor Hidegkuti in the making, a clever pass on the inside right channel on the Wolves back line Heskey set free. The striker tried to get a shot on goal from a tight angle but his effort pushed for a corner. Which is wasted.

HALF TIME: Aston Villa 0-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers. That was ... that was ... that was one half of football. The teams run on a very muted reception.

Half-time optimism: "Looks like you re 'the best of a bad game," writes Rick Short, very friendly. Our goal is to please. Like "I want to the comments on the new season ends with optimism after August to add. As a Sunderland supporter, I had no optimism, as I do, that 'Clattermole' our captain is learned. But he is consistent, we 'll give him dass Brainless, but consistent manner. My hope is to bring our poor early season form, therefore, continue the promise of 'the Fat Geordie Bastard', dismissed. Far better to relocate to our mid-season slump at the start of the season when it brings such a result? To return to take on Villa with (almost), Martin O 'Neill, please prepare at Sunderland! "

And we 're back! Wolves have gone 43 games without a goalless draw, according to Sky. You know what's coming 's up, then. And further take the gloss of this meeting here 's Nick Einhorn: "This is only the second top-of-the-table showdown of the season was the first last weekend, tied as Bolton and Manchester City, played for first. each other. "

47 min: N 'Zogbia Ward robbed on the left and so nearly succeed in breaking free in the area, but the fullback is fighting back well to deny the Villa man. A few seconds later, stove rushes to the same wing and sends a cross over the narrowly escapes Heskey. This is a sprightly start from Villa: McLeish, a disciple of Alex Ferguson may well have turned on the hairdryer.

49 min: Herd, who hasn 't by rattling in the earlier post attract any, gets his head on a right side Petrov corner. He can only control the ball far to the right and highly respectable, though. Wolves are hardly what touched since the restart. "Any chance we see 'll play-maker and ex-professional footballer Stephen Ireland?" Ask Chris Murray. "I think his decline fascinating. One wonders whether he McLeish 's kind of player. In his time he could have enlivened this dull encounter, and showed us his pants."

50 min: A ski run from Agbonlahor on the left. He cuts in the region and sends a low shot to the far corner. It 'sa great effort and go in, but Hennessey is well to palm it out. Wolves hack clear before Heskey or N 'Zogbia can tap in. The audience is suddenly for it.

52 min: A free kick for Villa, 30 yards out, just right of centre. N'Zogbia hits a lame effort straight at Hennessey, who swallows it like a tot of fine cognac.

55 min: This is a much better performance from the villa. Wolves can 't string two passes together at the moment. You 'll have to settle this soon, because the home team' s tail is up. Petrov wins a corner down the right, it 's see a lot of the ball. Nothing comes from him.

57 min: Another Villa corner, the 585th half. But not for the first time in the game, Petrov 's delivery arm, so that wolves break upfield on the left. Doyle looks skinned Warnock have to race clear into the area but the referee gives the full back a generous benefit of the doubt as a wing defender falls to the ground. "A letter from pedant 's corner here," begins Nick Turnbull, promising, "but weren' t Liverpool top before Bolton - Manchester City on Sunday by virtue of their lunch time on Saturday playing on game days, or we are talking top at the beginning of the 'game week'. With each e-mail I hate modern football more and more. "That 's the spirit. Only nine months to go until next summer sports!

59 min: This is such an improvement from Villa. First Agbonlahor twists and turns through the penalty spot, but can 't get off a shot. Then hunting Dunne heads a powerful header off the line. And finally a majestic herd tips Hennessey header over the crossbar. Wolves hold, but they 're beginning to rock exert pressure as a villa.

61 min: N 'Zogbia powers laid down the inside-left channel and when reaching the goal line, a low ball hits in the six-yard area. Hennessey, who has earned his salary, as much as Premier League footballers can ever get off, and throw a blanket over a very dangerous fire. "Stephen Ward can meet again on the left side for decent wolves," said Daragh Robinson. "But the real question is whether to oust the immovable object, Kevin Kilbane on the ROI page? 66 competitive matches in a row and counting!"

63 min: Henry is booked for a pull back on Petrov. "Is Ringo Starr on the lower right corner of the picture of Kevin Doyle?" Miracle Rob Preece. "A singing Yellow Submarine and Gold?" Haw. But wait, he 's not holding the Vs, and struck at about peace and love one another (not that it' s nothing wrong with that). And he 's in a good mood. It 's not Ringo. It can 't Ringo.

67 min: A double change for Wolves: Foley and Elokobi on, Hunt and Jarvis off.

69 min: A witless Wolves free kick into the area thrown into a pot. Since extinguished. Remember him from earlier? "Well, Emmanuel Eboue has his comic-cuts taken in Turkey, has Charles N 'Zogbia have the most well-sounding names in the Premier League?" Wonders Gary Naylor. Very possibly. If only someone sign Siphiwe Tshabalala.

71 min: Villa still \ the lion 's share, but they' re not too much to do with it now. In this sense, wolves came the flood.

72 min: Stearman is seen in the book for dragging on the ground Agbonlahor as the Villa man to turn around and break you clear the left.

74 min: Barry Bannan (aka "of Scotland's Paul Scholes"): Charles N 'Zogbia he melodious monicker is another player with a name replaced pleasing to the ear.

78 min: A lull. Which allows us some time to think. "Without \ not 'it' s as good as it once was, I remember when this was all fields, including the football field '," begins Tim Murray, "but during my happy childhood, I can 't remember newspapers or show Match Of The Day / The Big Match even bother tables until the first games of the season have been out of the way. I' m certain the phenomenon with a table for one or two games played is one Premier League era thing. Football, eh? Definitely not as good as it once was. "Yes, and remember when this was all fields? I agree with you completely on the tables. There was always something nice about the first one is released after three or four games, and the fervent disbelief in stuttering "on hold. Wimbledon / Coventry / Carlisle are top!"

81 min: A corner for Wolves on the left. It 's dropped without much fuss. This is fizzle out in a lackluster fashion. A Derby, as well. For shame.

84 min: A fiery burst of speed by Ward on the left. He 's clear, but again well on stove will deter the looters; Ward' s cross is too deep. This is now officially very bad.

85 min: Albrighton is for Delph.

87 min:

Fletcher is exchanged for Vokes.