Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Nuno Espirito Santo has admitted that he is delighted with the way his side controlled the game against Aston Villa to maintain their Championship promotion charge.

The West Midlands outfit earned local bragging rights by deservedly seeing off in-form rivals Aston Villa 2-0 at Molineux on Saturday evening, courtesy of second-half goals from Diogo Jota and Leo Bonatini.

Wolves moved above Cardiff City and Sheffield United in the process to claim top spot in the second tier, but Santo hopes that there is still more to come from his side once they build up further momentum.

Asked if the win was the best team performance under him so far, Santo is quoted by the Birmingham Mail as saying: "I don't quite know the answer to that. There's never perfection. It's the kind of performance that puts you closer towards really achieving what you want.

"You have to perform to achieve. We were consistent with the way we kept the ball and stayed in control of the game.We continued to create chances. We did well in the first half but we wanted to get it done in the second half. I thought the gameplan worked really well. After the international break, the best way is to stick to your shape - don't lose the order of the game.

"The team is progressing and we are managing the game well. It's where we want to be so we have to continue. It's a long way to go and it's a tough competition. We want to improve in the next game. That's our challenge. We have to fight for three more points."

Wolves, with 26 points from their first 12 games, take on Preston North End in their next Championship outing in six days' time.