Manchester City v Wolves: Premier League – live
Key events
There were plenty of empty seats at the start of the game – that was due to a fan protest over the club’s ticket prices and policies.
Wolves had a couple of serious chances during a decent first half-hour, but City have strolled around comfortably since the De Bruyne goal, their possession in the 60s.
HALF-TIME: Manchester City 1-0 Wolves
Just the one minute added on as Nunes thumps the ball over to Doku on the other wing. The ball works it way to Bernardo Silva on the right, and he tries to jink away and cross the ball. Wolves resist and then comes the whistle.
45 min It’s just pass-pass-pass from City, always looking for Doku on the left to then penetrate.
42 min De Bruyne gets in the way of another potential Wolves counter, hunting down the ball on the City left.
41 min City are now wheeling the ball around comfortably, taking the sting out of the game.
40 min De Bruyne – he’s everywhere – halts a Wolves break with a foul by the halfway line.
37 min De Bruyne is in the game once again, trying to slide in a ball for Marmoush … but Sá intercepts, advancing well outside his area.
GOAL! Manchester City 1-0 Wolves (De Bruyne 35)
It’s been building over the last few minutes and here it is. City win the ball in midfield and the spaces open up, with Doku beating his man inside the area before pulling back for the advancing De Bruyne. The veteran connects well enough with the bobbling ball, the first-time hit giving City the lead.
33 min … O’Reilly drifts into the area and shoots over the bar but City are finally clicking.
32 min Doku crosses from the left, Toti heads away but City have now set up camp inside the Wolves half …
31 min Another low Doku pass from the City left into the area is bundled away.
30 min De Bruyne takes it short before eventually whipping it in. That’s cleared before Silva curls in a ball from the right … again the Wolves defence – a flat five out of possession – is resolute.
29 min City have a corner but it’s Wolves who have the rhythm at present.
27 min Another huge chance for Wolves! They work it nicely to leave Aït-Nouri in position to strike the post from around 10 yards. The rebound comes back out to him but he can’t beat Gvardiol on the line!
22 min Wolves have the first clear-cut chance and they blow it. The visitors beat the high City line with Bellegarde advancing into the area from the right, the chance on to square it comfortably for a Munetsi tap-in … but he makes a meal of the pass, sending it out of reach.
21 min Sá punches away the corner before De Bruyne crosses from the left … Toti Gomes gets a head on it but Marmoush lets loose … it’s another shot off target.
20 min De Bruyne makes a tidy run into the Wolves area before crossing into the centre … the move ends with a City corner.
19 min André has a first-time hit from inside the D but a City shirt closes down on him to ensure he’s put off, and the shot flies high.
18 min It doesn’t sound all that electric at the Etihad. Toti Gomes makes a decent run down the left for Wolves before the ball is recycled, with the visitors getting the passes going in midfield.
17 min We’re lacking in thrills at the moment. Doku threatens to provide some when jinking down the left but he can’t find a teammate in the area.
13 min Nunes whips in a ball from the right but Sá, the Wolves keeper, reads the situation really well, getting himself close to the edge of the area to collect.
12 min Kovacic, who was excellent at Wembley last weekend, leaves Gomes rolling on the turf with a challenge.
11 min Never mind, it’s Bernardo Silva who crosses the ball but it doesn’t go deep enough, causing Wolves little bother.
10 min De Bruyne finds Marmoush on the City right before Matheus Nunes is tripped by the onrushing Cunha. City have a free-kick for De Bruyne to whip in …
9 min Doku cushions the ball on the left and gets City moving but a cross is dealt with and Semedo ventures down the Wolves right before winning a free-kick inside his own half.
7 min Cunha’s corner from the left heads towards the far post, and past everyone. It had some proper swing on it, one Jimmy Anderson would be proud of.
6 min Wolves finally get a proper hold of the ball after a long punt from the back; Bellegarde helps win a corner.
4 min The camera flashes to Rodri in the stands. He’s been greatly missed.
3 min Matheus Cunha breaks free on the left and cuts in … but loses his way with the hit from outside the area, the shot wildly off target.
2 min Ederson’s pass from the back helps City cut through the Wolves lines, the move ending with Rúben Dias having a crack from around 25 yards. It’s high and rather wide.
1 min City calmly get those possession numbers up by wheeling it around at the back.
Peep!
The hosts kick things off. Let’s play!
Here’s how the reverse fixture went. City went top of the table after John Stones’ winner – it’s been a while.
Lads on tour? I think not.
“The last 15 years, my wife has been the father and the mother. I didn’t see anything. Birthdays, graduations … I have never been there. Never. I don’t want this life for my sons. We have a lot of moments where we suffer a lot. And alone. I think we are always in a pre-depression. I believe that the moments of my life gave me the opportunity to be stronger.”
Some great lines from Vítor Pereira in this piece by Ben Fisher.
Pep Guardiola speaks to Sky: “I’ve said, when I finish my time here, I don’t know, one year, two year, three years, four, five, six, I don’t know, I will take a break. I’m not retire but I’ll take a break for sure.”
That’s clarifying his comments made here:
Erling Haaland is back in the mix but on the bench – he didn’t play any games in April due to an ankle injury. Fellow Norwegian forward Jørgen Strand Larsen is not involved for Wolves; he has six goals in his last six league matches.
The teams
Manchester City: Ederson, Matheus Nunes, Rúben Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly, Gündogan, Kovacic, Silva, De Bruyne, Doku, Marmoush
Subs: Ortega, Haaland, Grealish, González, Akanji, Savinho, Foden, Lewis, McAtee
Wolves: José Sá, Doherty, Agbadou, Toti Gomes, Nélson Semedo, João Gomes, André, Aït-Nouri, Munetsi, Bellegarde, Matheus Cunha
Subs: Bentley, Bueno, Hwang, Rodrigo Gomes, Doyle, Sarabia, Gonçalo Guedes, Djiga, Pedro Lima
Preamble
Hello, hello, hello and welcome to some spicy Friday night action: the most in-form team in the league against, um, Manchester City.
Yes, Wolves are on a serious run with six consecutive victories. While it’s worth noting that all of those teams sit below them in the table, it’s still clinical work. After flirting with a relegation battle, they’re safe and sound under Vítor Pereira.
For City, the good times are (sort of) rolling back. They’ve got an FA Cup final to look forward to after last weekend’s victory over Nottingham Forest, and a win tonight would take them third, causing Forest fans further grief. But a slip up from Pep’s boys would be nice for the neutrals, injecting a bit more drama into the push for Champions League spots. After Liverpool’s title march and the misery of the bottom three, let us feel something. Please.
Kick-off’s at 8pm BST. Drop me a line with your thoughts, queries, worries, existential angst, whatever. Cheers!
