Pep Guardiola: Joy in the Last 50 Seconds (16:26)
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola spoke to Sky Sports after the thrilling late win over Wolves, expressing his pride in his team’s performance:
- Late Drama: “We are not a team that often wins games in the last minute, but today was outstanding. Scoring in the last 50 seconds was a joy, and it felt incredible to go top of the league that way.”
- Challenging Opponent: “Wolves were tough, with 11 players packed in the box, making it hard for us. The composure and patience from my players to break through was fantastic.”
- Squad Contributions: “The players who came on were unbelievable, making a real difference. We lost here last season, but today we played the way we wanted.”
- Injury Update: Guardiola provided an update on Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne, indicating that they are unlikely to be ready for the upcoming midweek fixtures.
Danyal Khan: Controversial Silva Involvement (16:25)
Sky Sports reporter Danyal Khan, also commenting from Molineux, discussed a controversial moment:
- Bernardo Silva’s Role: “Throughout the game, Silva was trying to shield Wolves’ keeper Sa during set-pieces. In the decisive moment, it looked like Silva was affecting Sa’s ability to move, raising questions about whether the goal should have stood.”
- Past Incident: Khan recalled a similar incident last season when Max Kilman had a goal disallowed for Wolves, hinting that this topic might come up in Gary O’Neil’s post-match press conference.
Wolves will likely feel aggrieved by the incident, adding to the drama of this hard-fought match.
City Strike Late: Opta Stats
Manchester City’s Record-Breaking Unbeaten Run
- 31 Matches Unbeaten: Manchester City are now unbeaten in 31 Premier League matches (W25 D6), marking the longest unbeaten run in the club’s history.
John Stones’ Late Winner
- 94th Minute Goal: John Stones’ winner came at 94 minutes and 33 seconds, making it City’s latest winning goal since Erling Haaland’s strike in November 2022 (94:34) against Fulham.
Wolves’ Struggles Continue
- Winless Start: Wolverhampton Wanderers have not won any of their first eight league games (D1 L7), a feat not seen since 1983-84, a season in which they finished bottom of the top-flight.
Man City’s Dominance in Possession
- 539 Passes in Wolves’ Half: City completed 539 passes in Wolves’ half, the most by any team at Molineux in Premier League history. It was also the highest in the Premier League since Arsenal’s 544 passes against Sheffield United in March 2023.
This late victory continues to highlight City’s resilience and Wolves’ struggles to find their footing this season.
16:11 Stones: We Had to Be at Our Best
Man City defender John Stones spoke to Sky Sports following their victory:
“It was a tough game. These moments don’t come often for us. Credit to Wolves for stopping us from creating chances and making it difficult in the final third. We had to be at our best at the back, especially with transitions and counter-attacks. I’m really pleased to win in that fashion and to get on the scoresheet again. Wolves’ points don’t reflect how they’re playing. Credit also to the guy who helps us with set-pieces! We had to push right until the end.”
16:06 Should City’s Winner Have Been Allowed?
The PGMOL confirmed that the on-field decision was to disallow Manchester City’s winner, but VAR overturned the ruling. The key focus was whether Silva interfered with Sa’s ability to collect the cross. The referee only judged Silva’s potential interference in Sa’s eyeline rather than any physical contact.
16:02 Was Silva Interfering With Sa?
Micah Richards gave his perspective: “I would like to see the goal given because there wasn’t much contact, but Silva was still in the keeper’s way, so it affected the play. Wolves have every right to feel aggrieved.”
16:01 – Man City Go Top of the Table
With this victory, City capitalized on Arsenal’s defeat to Bournemouth and climbed to the top of the table. Liverpool now need to win against Chelsea to regain the lead.
16:00 – Silva Controversy: Did He Foul Sa?
Daniel Sturridge weighed in on Sky Sports: “I believe Silva impacted the goalkeeper’s ability to challenge for the ball.”
15:57 Wolves 1-2 Man City
Adam Bate at Molineux commented: “Cruel on Wolves, but that goal was rightly allowed. Silva was clearly not interfering with Sa’s view. It’s a massive goal for City, and they’re celebrating as if they know it!”
15:36 Dias Forces Another Good Stop From Sa
Man City maintained pressure on Wolves as Ruben Dias forced another save from Jose Sa.
15:28 OVER! Savinho’s Missed Opportunity 70′
A chance fell to Savinho, but he swung his weaker right foot, sending the ball over the bar. Grealish, who was getting ready to come on, will replace him.
15:24 Foden Comes On 66′
Phil Foden finally entered the pitch, replacing Doku after a lengthy wait on the sideline. Wolves brought on Forbs for Cunha in a bid to bolster their counter-attacking efforts.
15:23 Wolves 1-1 Man City 65′
Gundogan has a shot from the edge of the box that takes a slight deflection before rolling into Sa. City continue to be frustrated by this Wolves defensive front.
15:21 Wolves 1-1 Man City 63′
Gundogan takes the free-kick after a long wait, but it is blocked behind for a corner, which ends up in the arms of Sa.
15:20 Wolves 1-1 Man City 63‘ YELLOW!
Gomes gets booked after he and Kovacic engage in a wrestling match. The City man had been tasked with blocking Gomes to prevent him from stopping the free-kick.
15:19 Wolves 1-1 Man City 61′
Lemina concedes a foul on the edge of the box for a challenge on Kovacic. Replays show that the City midfielder appeared to go down easily. It’s a soft free-kick to give away and is positioned right on the edge—dangerous for City. Haaland has been told he will not be taking it. Gundogan, Bernardo, and Savinho are set to stand over it.
15:17 Wolves 1-1 Man City 59′
Nervy moments for Wolves at a corner, but Sa reacts quickest to leap onto the loose ball. Gvardiol was ready to pounce had the goalkeeper not dealt with that situation.
15:16 Wolves 1-1 Man City 59′
Phil Foden is being briefed ahead of coming on. Sounds like he could be coming on for Doku.
15:15 Wolves 1-1 Man City 57′ BIG HEADER! Wolves have to do some defending as City come up the other end. Savinho clips a cross into the back post, but Toti Gomes leaps highest to beat Haaland to the header.
15:14 Wolves 1-1 Man City
Wolves 1-1 Man City: Seven shots from outside the box from Man City so far today, including the equaliser from Josko Gvardiol.
15:13 Wolves 1-1 Man City 56′
CLOSE! Wolves not far away as Cunha takes a strike from range on the break. They keep finding good space in transition, and this time Cunha can’t see the chance to play Strand Larsen in, so takes it himself. Ederson looked to have the far post covered, but it was just a fraction wide of the bottom corner.
15:12 Wolves 1-1 Man City
Danyal Khan at Molineux:“Subtle change for City but interesting Pep Guardiola has swapped Doku and Savinho. This game reminds me a little bit of City’s encounter with Arsenal when they had 10 men – City dominating, but Haaland and co aren’t really creating many clear chances so far. Grealish had to come off the bench on that occasion to provide a spark, and he may be required again here.”
15:11 – Wolves 1-1 Man City
Sky Sports’ Don Goodman at Molineux: “This is what Man City have been reduced to: strikes from distance. Yes, they’re scoring plenty of them. The Wolves goalkeeper is being asked questions.”
15:11 Wolves 1-1 Man City 54′
SAVE! Sa gets down low to keep out a lovely strike from Dias. He kept it low, which made it tough to stop, but the Wolves deputy is equal to the challenge. The City defender was some way out. That seems to be the best way for the visitors to challenge Wolves right now.
15:09 Wolves 1-1 Man City 51′
Savinho and Doku have swapped wings to test their luck with another defender. Savinho links up with Gvardiol, feeding him through that
14:59: Wolves 1-1 Man City
Will City go on to victory from here?
Manchester City are unbeaten in each of their last seven Premier League matches when drawing at half-time, winning six of those in the second half.
14:54: Wolves 1-1 Man City
Should Dias have stopped Wolves’ goal?
Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher on Wolves’ opener:
“Ruben Dias can cut out that Semedo cross. He just drags his foot. He scored an own goal in this fixture last season. I wonder if last season is in his mind. From Wolves’ perspective, it is a special goal, though.”
14:54 – Should Dias Have Stopped Wolves’ Goal? Jamie Carragher weighed in on Wolves’ opening goal, suggesting that Ruben Dias should have done better. “Dias can cut out that Semedo cross; he just drags his foot. He scored an own goal in this fixture last season, so I wonder if that’s in his mind,” Carragher noted. Despite the defensive lapse, he acknowledged that, from Wolves’ perspective, it was a special goal.
Wolves 1-1 Man City
Adam Bate at Molineux: “City have dominated possession, but Wolves’ tactics have been spot on. By defending deep, they’ve kept Haaland quiet—at least for now. The home side has shown flashes of threat on the counter, utilizing the skills of Ait-Nouri, Andre, and Cunha to carry the ball forward. “While a second goal for City feels inevitable, the crowd remains fully engaged in this defensive effort, applauding their team as they head into the interval.”
14:48 – HALF TIME! Wolves 1-1 Man City
Man City has battled back to level the score at the break and could have taken the lead if not for some outstanding saves from José Sá. Wolves looked threatening on the counter, scoring their opener when Jorgen Strand Larsen tapped in a brilliant cross from Nelson Semedo. City equalized with a stunning right-footed strike from Gvardiol that found the top corner, though Sá managed to get a hand to it. The game is finely poised as we head into the second half. Stick with us for more action!
Sky Sports Commentary
Don Goodman: “What a save! If you thought the first one was good, this one might be even better. Sá’s stunning stop keeps his team level.”
Danyal Khan: “City has dominated to close the half, with all 10 outfield players camped in the opposition’s half. Gary O’Neil will urge his players to be braver on the ball, as they pose a threat when they can break City’s press.”
14:45 – Wolves 1-1 Man City (45′)
Wolves have shown resilience since conceding, holding their ground against City. They now face two minutes of added time to navigate before the half-time whistle.
14:41 – Wolves 1-1 Man City (41′)
Wolves counter through Rayan Ait-Nouri, who whips in a dangerous cross, but Ruben Dias handles it calmly, chesting it down to prevent any threat to City. Wolves’ ability to counter quickly remains a serious threat, and they’ll need City to push forward if they hope to capitalize.
14:39 – Wolves 1-1 Man City (39′)
YELLOW! Savinho receives a booking for halting a Wolves counter-attack by leaning into Matheus Cunha. City’s attack is aggressive but this foul halts Wolves’ momentum briefly.
14:38 – Wolves 1-1 Man City (37′)
Josko Gvardiol continues to shine as Doku threads him through on the left. However, his attempt to cross back into the box is blocked by two Wolves defenders and Sa, the goalkeeper. Gvardiol is causing problems with his dynamic runs down the left flank.
14:35 – Adam Bate at Molineux:
“The Wolves fans were just teasing Haaland, comparing him unfavorably to Strand Larsen. But it’s Gvardiol who steals the show with that outrageous skill.”
14:34 – Don Goodman at Molineux:
“This is the seventh goal City has scored from outside the box this season. Wolves did everything right defensively, but sometimes you just get undone by brilliance.”
14:33 – GOAL! Wolves 1-1 Man City (Gvardiol, 33′)
City finds the equalizer through a stunning right-footed strike by Josko Gvardiol from outside the box. Sa got a touch, but it wasn’t enough to stop the nearly perfect shot. Wolves’ defense has been solid, but there was no stopping this effort.
14:27 – Wolves 1-0 Man City (28′)
Toti Gomes acrobatically clears Bernardo Silva’s dangerous cross near the goal-line. Wolves are holding strong despite heavy pressure from City.
14:22 – Wolves 1-0 Man City (22′)
City is pressing hard, with Gvardiol whipping in a teasing cross, but no one connects at the back post. They seem a step behind.
14:14 – Wolves 1-0 Man City (14′)
Toti Gomes is booked after fouling Savinho just outside the box. City wastes the opportunity from the resulting free kick.
14:12 – Adam Bate at Molineux:
“O’Neil had emphasized courage under pressure, and that’s exactly how Wolves played for this goal. The stadium is buzzing.”
14:09 – Wolves 1-0 Man City
City responds quickly as Bernardo Silva tests Sa with a solid shot, but the Wolves keeper pulls off a great save.
14:08 – Don Goodman at Molineux:
“It’s poor defensively from City, but what a ball from Semedo. An outstanding cross and a very composed finish.”
14:07 – GOAL! Wolves 1-0 Man City (Strand Larsen, 7′)
Wolves take a shock lead as Jorgen Strand Larsen taps in after a brilliant cross from Semedo. The underdogs make a dream start, with Larsen surprising everyone by scoring first.
14:04: Sky Sports’ Adam Bate at Molineux: “City’s plan is clear today—stretching the play through Savinho and Doku. Wolves are relying on their back five to handle the width and pressure effectively.”
14:03: Wolves 0-0 Man City 2′ Wolves are attempting to pass out from the back but are under early pressure from City. Toti Gomes overhits a pass as a result, which might be an area City could exploit today. Wolves have struggled with similar mistakes earlier this season.
14:03: Wolves 0-0 Man City Sky Sports’ Don Goodman at Molineux:
“Counter-attacks have been a key threat for Wolves, similar to Fulham’s tactics against City this season. It’s a strength Wolves have consistently used since returning to the Premier League.”
14:00: Wolves vs. Manchester City is underway at Molineux. City have a chance to capitalize on Arsenal’s stumble and go top of the table. Stay tuned to see if Pep Guardiola’s side can seize the moment.
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