Man City 1-0 Wolves: Missed Chances Cost Wolves Against Champions League Chasers

Finley Smith gives us his Manchester City vs Wolves Report

Starting Lineups

Manchester City:
Ederson, Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly, Kovacic, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Doku, Marmoush

Wolves:
Sa, Semedo, Docherty, Agbadou, Toti, Ait Nouri, Joao, Andre, Cunha, Munetsi, Bellegarde

First Half

Manchester City controlled possession early on, as expected. Wolves arrived with confidence after six wins in a row, looking to extend that run at a tough away ground.

• 2’: Cunha took an early shot for Wolves, but missed wide.
• 6’: Wolves built a good move and won a corner, but City cleared.
• Every time Nunes touched the ball, Wolves fans voiced their displeasure with loud boos.
• 21’: Bellegarde set up Munetsi, who missed a great chance from close range.
• 26’: Ait Nouri struck the crossbar. At this stage, Wolves should have been at least 2-0 ahead.
• 28’: Wolves defended a City corner well.
• Up to the half-hour mark, Wolves stayed organized and matched City’s intensity.
• 31’: Manchester City finally threatened with their best move so far.
• Goal (City, 34’): De Bruyne scored after Andre’s mistake. Doku provided the assist.

Despite a strong first half and two vital missed chances, Wolves trailed at the break.

Halftime:
Manchester City 1-0 Wolves

Second Half

No changes at halftime. Wolves remained very much in the match.

• 56’: Cunha hit the bar for Wolves—another big chance missed.
• City had a corner; Sa claimed it confidently.
• Subs for Wolves:
  • Doherty off, Rodrigo on
  • Bellegarde off, Sarabia on

Could Sarabia make an impact off the bench again?

• 72’: Ait Nouri was involved in a VAR review for a challenge, but avoided a red card.
• Sub: Andre off, Guedes on

City kept pressing, but Wolves defended well and stayed focused.

With ten minutes left, Wolves continued to push for an equaliser.

• Subs:
  • Cunha off, Hwang on
  • Semedo off, Santiago on

Wolves kept moving the ball patiently. In added time, they forced a corner in the dying seconds, sending Sa forward, but couldn’t find a goal.

Fulltime:
Manchester City 1-0 Wolves

Final Thoughts

Wolves matched City for much of the game and created enough chances to win, but didn’t take them. The team showed fight and organisation and can feel proud of the performance, even if the result is disappointing.

Manchester City may not be having their best season, but they are finishing strong and pushing for the Champions League. Wolves proved they can compete with top teams. Some luck and better finishing, and the result could have been different.

Man of the Match: Agbadou (Toti also impressed)
Performance Rating: 6.5 out of 10

On to Brighton at home next. Up the Wolves! 🐺🧡🖤