Manchester City will host Wolves at the Etihad on Saturday, looking to continue the title charge with a win at home.
Defending Premier League champions Manchester City are second in the league table, one point adrift of league leaders Arsenal ahead of the visit of Wolves at the Etihad on Satuday evening. However, they have a game in hand, and a win here would send them to the top of the table.
Manchester City have an exceptional record against Wolves, but they were beaten by the Black Country outfit earlier this season. The home team will look to avenge that defeat here, and it remains to be seen whether they can grind out all three points.
Meanwhile, Wolves ended their winless run with a win over Luton Town in the last game. They will be looking to complete a league double over Manchester City and dent their title hopes. It will be interesting to see if Wolves can upset the odds with a positive result away from home.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester City
Ederson Moraes is likely to miss out with a shoulder injury. Apart from that, Manchester City have a fully-fit squad to choose from. They are likely to shape up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Stefan Ortega in goal. In the back three, Kyle Walker will start alongside Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol.
Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish will start in the wide areas. They will look to help out in the attack and provide cover to the central defenders. Rodri will start in the central midfield berths alongside John Stones. The Spaniard will look to control the game from the deep, and Stones will look to break up opposition attacks.
Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne will start as the attacking midfielders, and they will look to open up the Wolves defence with their creativity and vision. Finally, Erling Haaland will lead the line for Manchester City against Wolves.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Ortega; Walker, Dias, Gvardiol; Doku, Rodri, Stones, Grealish; Silva, De Bruyne; Haaland
Wolves
Craig Dawson is ruled out with a groin injury. Pedro Neto is on his way back from his issue, but he might not be risked here. Wolves are likely to shape up in a 4-1-4-1 formation, with Jose Sa in goal.
Nelson Semedo and Matt Doherty will start as the full-backs. They will look to cover the central defenders and help out during counter-attacking situations. Max Kilman will start at the heart of the defence alongside Toti Gomes.
Boubacar Traore will start as the defensive midfielder, and he will look to shield the back for and win the ball back for his side. Hwang Hee-chan and Rayan Ait-Nouri will start in the wide areas. They will look to help out in the attack and provide additional defensive cover from the flanks.
Mario Lemina and Joao Gomes will start as the advanced central midfielders here. They will look to add creativity and control to the side in the middle of the park. Matheus Cunha will lead the line for Wolves.
Probable Lineup (4-1-4-1): Sa; Semedo, Kilman, Toti Gomes, Doherty; Traore; Hwang, Joao Gomes, Lemina, Ait-Nouri; Cunha
Key Stats
- Manchester City have won 14 of their last 17 matches in the Premier League.
- Manchester City have seen over 2.5 goals in seven of their last eight matches against Wolves in all competitions.
- 21 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two sides.
- Wolves are winless in five of their last six Premier League matches.
- Manchester City have kept a clean sheet in their last three matches.
Player to Watch
Kevin De Bruyne
The 32-year-old Belgian midfielder is our key player to watch out for. The Manchester City talismanhas been outstanding since his returned from injury, and he created both goals against Nottingham Forest in the last game.
De Bruyne will look to open up the Wolves defence with his creativity, vision, and passing in the final third. Wolves have looked quite vulnerable defensively in recent weeks, and the Belgian international has the quality to punish them with his quality.
Prediction
Manchester City 3-0 Wolves
Manchester City are firm favourites to pick up all three points here. They cannot afford to drop points at the stage of the season with the title on the line. The Premier league champions have the experience of performing under pressure during the crucial stages of a season, and they should be able to grind out a home win here.
Wolves managed to end their winless run with a win over Luton Town, but Manchester City are a far better team and a comprehensive home win is on the cards. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-0 victory for Pep Guardiola and his charges.
