A woefully out-of-sorts Manchester City are back at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon, having suffered two chastening defeats in consecutive games.
Pep Guardiola’s side were dire in last weekend’s Manchester derby and perhaps even worse in the Arctic Circle on Tuesday night. City succumbed to a 3–1 defeat at Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt, having fallen 3–0 behind at the start of the second half.
Their attempt at a comeback was compromised by Rodri’s dismissal after the hour mark, and the visitors were eventually fortunate that Bodø didn’t triumph by a more handsome margin.
They’re desperately out of sorts and in need of a return to winning ways this weekend. Wolverhampton Wanderers, though, are finally showing signs of resistance under Rob Edwards.
A goalless stalemate with Newcastle United means only three Premier League teams are currently on longer unbeaten runs than Wolves (four games), but they remain bottom of the table. Moreover, Saturday’s visitors are still 14 points adrift of safety. Derby County’s record-low 11-point haul hasn’t been bypassed either.
Here’s Sports Illustrated’s preview of Saturday’s Premier League clash.
What Time Does Man City vs. Wolves Kick Off?
- Location: Manchester, England
- Stadium: Etihad Stadium
- Date: Saturday, Jan. 24
- Kick-off Time: 3 p.m. GMT / 10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT
- Referee: Farai Hallam
- VAR: Darren England
Man City vs. Wolves Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
- Man City: 4 wins
- Wolves: 1 win
- Draws: 0
Current Form (All Competitions)
| Man City | Wolves |
|---|---|
| Bodø/Glimt 3–1 Man City - 20–01–26 | Wolves 0–0 Newcastle - 18–01–26 |
| Man Utd 2–0 Man City - 17–01–26 | Wolves 6–1 Shrewsbury - 10–01–26 |
| Newcastle 0–2 Man City - 13–01–26 | Everton 1–1 Wolves - 07–01–26 |
| Man City 10–1 Exeter - 10–01–26 | Wolves 3–0 West Ham - 03–01–26 |
| Man City 1–1 Brighton - 07–01–26 | Man Utd 1–1 Wolves - 30–12–25 |
How to Watch Man City vs. Wolves on TV, Live Stream
| Country | TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Not televised—audio coverage available via BBC Radio 5 Live & Man City Radio |
| United States | Peacock |
| Canada | DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada, Fubo Sports Network 5 Canada |
| Mexico | Max Mexico |
Man City Team News
Man City have been a mess defensively as of late, but that shouldn’t come as a surprise given their number of absences. Rúben Dias, Joško Gvardiol and John Stones remain sidelined for the hosts, but Guardiola can call upon Marc Guéhi after his arrival from Crystal Palace earlier in the week.
Guéhi was labelled a “top central defender” by his new manager upon his arrival, and he’ll be straight into the City team on Saturday afternoon. While he predominantly played on the left side at Palace, the England international could partner Nathan Aké on his debut.
Nico González had a chance of returning for the derby, but didn’t travel to the Arctic during the week. Guardiola has since said it’d be unlikely for the midfielder to come back in this weekend.
Matheus Nunes is a doubt through illness, while Savinho, Oscar Bobb and Mateo Kovačić are still out injured.
Man City Predicted Lineup vs. Wolves
Man City predicted lineup vs. Wolves (4-1-4-1): Donnarumma; Khusanov, Guéhi, Aké, O’Reilly; Rodri; Semenyo, Reijnders, Cherki, Doku; Haaland.
Wolves Team News
The visitors have considerably fewer injury concerns compared to City, nor did they have to travel to the Arctic in midweek.
Wolves are set to be without Toti Gomes again due to a hamstring injury, and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde is dealing with a similar issue. The French midfielder is a doubt for the trip to Manchester.
Edwards named Jørgen Strand Larsen among the substitutes last weekend, but he’d be wise to bring him back into the team on Saturday. The centre forward could partner the similarly imposing Tolu Arokadare and aim to physically overwhelm the vulnerable hosts.
Wolves Predicted Lineup vs. Man City
Wolves predicted lineup vs. Man City (3-5-2): Sá; Mosquera, S. Bueno, Krejčí; Tchatchoua, André, Gomes, Mané, H. Bueno; Arokadare, Strand Larsen.
Man City vs. Wolves Score Prediction
Guéhi’s inclusion should help stabilise City’s defence, as should Nico in midfield—if he’s deemed fit to start. They’ve been a mess in recent outings, with both Manchester United and Bodø running amok.
Wolves don’t boast the surprise factor of Michael Carrick’s United, nor will they bring sub-zero temperatures and an artificial pitch with them to the Etihad this weekend. Still, there’s scope for them to make life difficult for the home side, who are unlikely to be completely sure of themselves.
However, City simply cannot drop points here. It’s an absolute must win, and win they shall.
Prediction: Man City 2–0 Wolves
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Man City vs. Wolves: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.
