Wolves 1-1 Aston Villa

Pau Torres netted his first goal for the club as Aston Villa came from behind to claim a 1-1 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux.

Centre-back Torres, a summer signing, connected with Ollie Watkins’ inch-perfect ball into the box to finish from six yards and level matters just two minutes after Hee Chan Hwang’s opener for the hosts.

Mario Lemina was dimissed for Wanderers in injury time following a second bookable offence, before Nicolò Zaniolo and Ezri Konsa both went close to securing a late winner and Watkins headed against the base of a post with the last touch of the game.

It ensured a competitive and evenly-matched encounter finished all square across the midlands, the point extending Villa’s unbeaten run in the Premier League to four matches and capping a week which saw the club record wins over Brighton & Hove Albion and HŠK Zrinjski.

The Villans now head into the October international break before resuming domestic action at home to West Ham United.

Torres, Watkins, Matty Cash, Boubacar Kamara, Douglas Luiz and Moussa Diaby all returned to Villa’s line-up from the XI who started Thursday’s 1-0 Europa Conference League victory over Zrinjski.

With Diaby and Kamara passed fit, it meant head coach Emery made just one change from last weekend’s stunning 6-1 win over Brighton as Diego Carlos started instead of Zaniolo.

Recent history was not on Villa’s side having lost five of their last visits to Molineux and won just one of their last eight meetings.

Amid a vibrant atmosphere it was Villa who first went close as Cash, making his 100^th Premier League appearance, forced a good save from Jose Sa at the back post, before John McGinn whistled a long-range strike narrowly off target.

Yet the first half proved a cagey affair, Rayan Ait-Nouri sweeping a shot wide of the far post in the 33^rd minute before Luiz saw his strike blocked shortly before the half-time whistle.

Villa started the second half brightly and Sa was called upon to make a smart reflex save to keep out Watkins.

Yet it was the hosts who opened the scoring as Pedro Neto broke clear down Villa’s left and slid the ball across the six-yard box for Hwang to convert from close range.

The deficit lasted just two minutes, however, as Torres connected with Watkins’ inviting ball to the back post and slotted home a left-footed finish from six yards.

Emery introduced Zaniolo just after the hour as the clash flowed from end to end.

Neto connected with a low cross but could only send his effort over the bar in the 78^th minute.

Both sides pushed for all three points, with 12 minutes of added time, which saw Wanderers reduced to 10 men following the dismissal of Lemina.

And further drama was to come as Zaniolo sent a chance inches wide, Konsa was denied by Sa and then Watkins saw his late header rebound off a post in what was the last action of the encounter.