Dean Smith: Aston Villa are closing the gap on rivals Wolves

Villa head to Molineux sat 12th in the table, two points and two places behind their rivals - who have played two games more - in the Premier League table.

Wolves won both league encounters between the teams last season on route to a second straight seventh-placed finish, while Villa struggled against relegation in their first campaign back in the top flight.

But after a transfer window which saw Villa spend big on the likes of Ollie Watkins, Emiliano Martinez and Bertrand Traore, Smith believes they have made up ground on Wolves, who sold Diogo Jota to Liverpool and have lost Raul Jimenez to injury.

Smith said: “I think we are certainly closer to them than we were last season.

“With the quality we have added to our team I believe we have certainly done that.

“Wolves have also sold Jota and you only have to look at what he is doing at Liverpool now to see what a player they had.

“There is also Jimenez, a player I have spoken very highly of in the past, who is missing due to a serious head injury. That probably helps us, in terms of closing the gap.”

Smith will be hoping for another big performance from Villa skipper Jack Grealish. The 25-year-old, heavily linked with a move away last summer before signing a new five-year deal, has scored five goals in nine matches so far this season.

Smith is unsurprisingly delighted with his performances but has conceded that if Villa are to keep hold of Grealish in the long-term they must match his big ambitions.

"If we don't keep progressing and become a club that's challenging in Europe then we probably won't meet Jack's ambitions and there will be a time where Jack looks elsewhere then,” he said, in an interview with Stadium Astro.

“At the moment, he can see the progression at the football club and he wants to be a part of that."