Bellegarde bullet

EUROPEAN HANGOVER HITS UNAI YET AGAIN

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LIKE a hacking cough, Unai Emery cannot shake off his bad dose of the post-European blues.

Undone by a superb first-half goal from Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and late clincher from Matheus Cunha – that lifted Wolves out of the relegation spots - Aston Villa failed to win for the seventh time after a Champions League tie.

Emery may be trying to bring in Marcus Rashford on loan from Manchester United to fill the hole left by Jhon Duran's Arabian exit, but this defeat proved he has pressing gaps to fill in defence, too.

It was Wolves boss Vitor Pereira's first win after four straight defeats to move them above Leicester City.

Villa pressed at the close of both halves, but having lost Ollie Watkins at the break through injury, they lacked poise when it mattered.

There was an anxiety in Villa's early play, though, perhaps because of those previous post-Europe struggles.