Wolves will host Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, looking to pull off a morale-boosting win at home.
Wolves are coming into the game against Manchester City on the back of just one win from the last six Premier League matches. But they will need a massive stroke of luck in order to get something out of this contest.
The home side are currently 16th in the Premier League table, and they will be massive underdogs heading into the game. On the other hand, Manchester City are at the top of the league table having picked up wins in all six league matches so far.
The defending champions are in impressive form and they will be favourites to pick up all three points here. Manchester City have an impressive head-to-head record against Wolves and it is highly unlikely that they will come away empty-handed from this contest.
Pep Guardiola will demand a strong performance from his players and this should be a routine win for the visitors. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
On the road again 🔜 #ManCity | #AsahiSuperDry pic.twitter.com/Cp0zHF1wEg
— Manchester City (@ManCity) September 28, 2023
Team News & Tactics
Wolves
Wolves have a fully fit squad to choose from, and the only absentee here is Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, who is suspended. The home side are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Jose Sa in goal.
Matt Doherty and Rayan Ait-Nouri will be deployed as the full-backs. The two players will look to keep the defensive unit compact and help out the central defenders. Craig Dawson will start in the central defensive partnershp alongside Max Kilman.
In the middle of the park, Joao Gomes will feature alongside Mario Lemina. The two players will look to keep things compact in the middle of the park and help out offensively.
Matheus Cunha will start as the central attacking midfielder, with Pedro Neto and Hwang-Hee-chan alongside him. In the attack, Fabio Silva will lead the line for the home side against Manchester City this weekend.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sa; Doherty, Dawson, Kilman, Ait-Nouri; Gomes, Lemina; Hwang, Cunha, Neto; Silva
Manchester City
Manchester City do not have any new injury issues heading into this contest. Kevin De Bruyne remains a long-term absentee with a thigh injury, and Rodri is suspended after picking up a red card last weekend.
Pep Guardiola’s men are likely to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Ederson Moraes in goal. Kyle Walker and Josko Gvardiol will start as the full-backs here, and they will look to help out in the final third as well. Ruben Dias will start alongside Manuel Akanji in central defence.
In the midfield pilot, Kalvin Phillips will start alongside Matheus Nunes. The two players will look to add defensive steel and drive to the side. Julian Alvarez is likely to be deployed as the central attacking midfielder with Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku in the wide areas. Finally, Erling Haaland will lead the line for the visitors.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Walker, Dias, Akanji, Gvardiol; Phillips, Nunes; Foden, Alvarez, Doku; Haaland
Key Stats
- Manchester City have won their last six matches against Wolves in all competitions.
- Manchester City have won their last six matches in the Premier League.
- Manchester City have scored at least three goals in five of their last six matches against Wolves in all competitions.
- Wolves have conceded 12 goals in six league matches so far this season.
Player to Watch
Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland already has eight Premier League goals this season 👑 pic.twitter.com/M9InJkcy7q
— B/R Football (@brfootball) September 23, 2023
Wolves have been quite vulnerable defensively the season, and Erling Haaland has the quality to punish them tomorrow. The Manchester City striker has scored eight goals in six league matches so far, and he will look to extend his fine run of form by getting on the score sheet once again.
The 23-year-old is our key player to watch out for and he should close all sorts of problems for a vulnerable Wolverhampton Wanderers defence.
Prediction
Wolves 1-3 Manchester City
Despite being without Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri, Manchester City have enough quality at their disposal to beat most teams around the world. They will be overwhelming favourites heading into this contest, and they should be able to grind out a comprehensive victory.
The gulf in class between the two sides is enormous and Wolves are likely to fall short here. Although the home side will look to put on a strong performance in front of their fans, Manchester City have enough quality to grind out all three points eventually. A 3-1 away win is on the cards here.