Diaby, Konsa seal 2-0 win for Aston Villa over Wolves

BIRMINGHAM, England : Aston Villa were not at their best but stayed on course for a place in the Champions League next season with a 2-0 Premier League victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.

Moussa Diaby and Ezri Konsa scored at Villa Park as the home side remain in fourth place with 59 points from 30 matches, three points ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, who have a game in hand and are their most likely challengers for a top-four finish.

It was no classic, but a first win for Villa manager Unai Emery over Wolves at the seventh attempt ends a run of two Premier League games without a win, which had loosened his side’s grip on fourth place ever so slightly.

Wolves remain in 10th place with 41 points from 29 games and had their moments. Rayan Aït-Nouri missed a superb chance in the first half, but his side suffered back-to-back defeats after being dumped out of the FA Cup by Championship side Coventry City in their previous fixture.