Manchester City will welcome Wolves to the Etihad on Saturday, desperate to return to winning ways and resurrect their Premier League title charge.
Manchester City have dropped points in recent matches, and they are winless in their four Premier League games this year ahead of the match vs Wolves at the Etihad on Saturday afternoon. They cannot afford to slip up any further if they want to stay in the Premier League title race.
Saturday’s clash will be a must-win contest for them, and it will be interesting to see whether the players can step up and deliver a strong performance after the two listless displays against Manchester United and Bodo/Glimt.
Manchester City are a better team on paper, and they have an excellent record vs Wolves. They should be able to get the job done. Pep Guardiola’s men have picked up five wins from their last six matches against tomorrow’s opposition. On the other hand, Wolves have shown improvement in form in recent weeks, even though they are at the bottom of the table.
The Black Country outfit are unbeaten in their last four Premier League matches, and they will look to make life difficult for the home team. It remains to be seen whether they can pull off an upset. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester City
John Stones (thigh), Mateo Kovacic (ankle), Oscar Bobb (hamstring), Ruben Dias (knock), and Josko Gvardiol (calf) are ruled out for the foreseeable future.
Manchester City will shape up in their usual 4-2-3-1 formation vs Wolves, with Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal. Matheus Nunes and Nico O’Reilly will start as the full-backs. They will keep things tight at the back and help out in the final third. Meanwhile, Marc Guehi and Nathan Ake will start in central defence.
As for the midfield unit, Rodri will start in the middle of the park, looking to control the tempo of the game from deep and provide defensive cover, with Tijjani Reijnders adding drive and creativity alongside him.
Rayan Cherki will add creativity from the attacking midfield role. Jeremy Doku and Antoine Semenyo will add pace, flair and goals from the flanks, with Erling Haaland spearheading the Manchester City attack vs Wolves on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Donnarumma; Nunes, Guehi, Ake, O’Reilly; Reijnders, Rodri; Doku, Cherki, Semenyo; Haaland
Wolves
Rob Edwards will be without Toti Gomes (thigh), and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde (hamstring). Wolves are likely to shape up in a 3-4-2-1 formation vs Manchester City, with Jose Sa in goal. In the back three, Yerson Mosquera will start alongside Ladislav Krejci and Santiago Bueno.
Jackson Tchatchoua and Hugo Bueno will start as the wing-backs here. They will look to keep things tight at the back and hit Manchester City on the break. As for the midfield unit, Joao Gomes and Andre Trindade will add defensive cover and control from the middle of the park.
Jhon Arias and Mateus Mane will start as the attacking midfielders here. They will look to link the midfield with the attack and help create opportunities for their teammates. Finally, Jorgen Strand Larsen will lead the line for Wolves vs Manchester City on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Sa; Mosquera, Santiago Bueno, Krejci; Tchatchoua, Joao Gomes, Andre, Hugo Bueno; Arias, Mane; Strand Larsen
Key Stats
- Manchester City have won ten of their last 11 matches against Wolves in all competitions. 20 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two teams.
- Wolves have failed to win 25 of their last 26 matches in the Premier League.
- Manchester City have won at both half-time and full-time in six of their last eight matches against Wolves across all competitions.
- Manchester City are unbeaten in their last 30 Premier League games against sides starting the day bottom of the table (W24 D6), since losing three in a row in November/December 2008 (vs Bolton Wanderers, Tottenham Hotspur, West Bromwich Albion). At home, they have won their last nine against bottom placed sides by an aggregate score of 36-0.
- No side has failed to score in more different Premier League games than Wolves this season (11). However, Rob Edwards’ side have kept a clean sheet in two of their last three league games, having conceded at least once in each of their previous 23.
Player to Watch
Erling Haaland
The Norwegian striker has been excellent again this season, and he is our key player to watch out for. He will look to create opportunities for his teammates and find the back of the net. Wolves have been quite poor defensively, and they will struggle to contain the Premier League’s best striker.
The 25-year-old has scored more Premier League goals against Wolves than any other player (10). He’s netted exactly one goal, two goals, three goals and four goals in games against them, one of only three players to do so against an opponent after Robbie Fowler (vs Bolton) and Harry Kane (vs Leicester City).
Haaland could make a big difference in the final third for Manchester City and help them pick up all three points. So, it is little wonder that the Manchester City talisman is again the first pick for FPL captaincy heading into Gameweek 23.
Prediction
Manchester City 3-1 Wolves
Manchester City are the better team on paper, and despite their recent struggles, they should be able to grind out a positive result here. The hosts have enough depth and quality in the final third, and they should be able to find a way past Wolves’ vulnerable defence.
The visitors have conceded 41 goals in 21 league matches, and they will struggle to keep Manchester City quiet here. The home team is likely to pick up all three points. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Erling Haaland and his charges.
