Steven Gerrard warns Aston Villa players are fighting for their futures

Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard warned his side they are fighting for their futures after a 2-1 Premier League defeat at Wolves.

Jonny’s early strike and Ashley Young’s own goal sent Wolves seventh in their bid to return to Europe.

Ollie Watkins’ late penalty was not enough and defeat left Villa 10th, 13 points behind Wolves with a third-straight defeat leaving their season drifting with eight games left.

Gerrard accused his side of failing to turn up at Molineux but vowed it was a problem he would solve, with or without his current squad.

“We have only got ourselves to blame. At the moment we’re looking like a 45-minute team and that’s on me,” he said.

“I’ve got to fix it and I will fix it. The players in the building have to help me fix it now, if not we will get players in who will help me fix it.

“It was a game we never turned up for, we are playing against Wolves, a local rival, but you can’t come to derbies at half time. We have gifted Wolves two goals.

“At half-time we put ourselves in a really difficult position. Everything I asked of the players at half-time onwards they gave me, but when you are up against teams at this level, you can’t give them a two-goal start.”

Wolves, without the banned Raul Jimenez and injured Ruben Neves, made light of their missing stars to dominate the first half.

Their seventh-minute opener owed much to Villa’s misfortune but it was just rewards for the hosts.

Both John McGinn and Ezri Konsa slipped to first allow Joao Moutinho and then Daniel Podence to take advantage.

A covering McGinn blocked Podence’s shot and Lucas Digne denied Fabio Silva only for the ball to run to Jonny to fire into the top corner.

Silva and Podence went close before Wolves took their foot off the gas and