watch for our match preview ahead of wolves trip to the either to face Manchester City
TEAM NEWS
Erling Haaland has returned to full training for Manchester City after his ankle injury, but he probably won’t play in this match. James McAtee is back and available after serving his suspension in the FA Cup semi-final. Nathan Ake, Rodri, and John Stones are still sidelined.
Wolves manager Vitor Pereira has no new injury worries in his squad. Sam Johnstone might miss out again, while Leon Chiwome, Enso Gonzalez, Sasa Kalajdzic, and Yerson Mosquera are still out for the long term.
VITOR PEREIRA
He said there are some “small problems” within the squad but that he hopes to have “everyone” available for Friday.
Pereira said the team’s run of six straight Premier League wins has made his players “happy” and that they are a building a “good environment.”
He said it was a “pleasure” to play in stadiums like Etihad Stadium and that competing in the Premier League is “special.”
On learning from their defeat against Liverpool in February: “In the Liverpool game, I saw two different teams with two different mentalities. The first had a lot of respect [towards their opponent] and in the second half I watched a different game. I saw my team play with courage and this is what I want to see.”
On opponents Manchester City: “You always try to create your identity during a game. Each team is a different challenge and we know we will face a difficult opponent but in the different moments of the game we know how to organise [ourselves].”
Pereira said there is a balance between “looking at the spaces we can explore” and “managing the strengths [of Manchester City] that we need to contain.”
MATCH STATS & FACTS
Head-to-head
Manchester City have won eight of their past nine home league games against Wolves, with their only defeat in that run coming in October 2019.
Since completing a top-flight double over City in the 2019-20 campaign, Wolves have lost eight of the nine most recent encounters.
Manchester City
Manchester City are unbeaten in eight matches in all competitions, with six victories and two draws.
They are aiming to win five matches in a row for only the second time this season, having done so in October.
The 11 goals scored by Josko Gvardiol in all competitions since the start of last season is the joint most by a Premier League defender along with Newcastle’s Fabian Schar.
This is City’s first Premier League home game on a Friday since Boxing Day 2008.
Kevin de Bruyne, who will be playing in his penultimate match at the Etihad Stadium, has been involved in 10 goals in just nine league appearances against Wolves, scoring five and setting up five more.
All six of Omar Marmoush’s Premier League goals have come at home.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolves’ current run of six straight league victories is the joint longest of any top-flight team this season.
They are aiming to win seven top-flight league games in a row for only the second time in their history after September to October 1946.
Wanderers could record five consecutive away league victories for the first time since 2013 in League One. They last did so as a top-flight club in April 1980.
Wolves have earned 10 top-flight wins since Vitor Pereira’s first league fixture in charge on 22 December, behind only Liverpool (14) and Newcastle (12).
The 32 points they have earned since Pereira’s appointment is 13 more than the combined total of the bottom three across that time.
Pereira’s 55.6% Premier League win percentage is the best of any Wolves manager.
Matheus Cunha’s 15 goals and six assists is the second highest goal involvements by a Wolves player in a Premier League season behind Raul Jimenez’s 23 in 2019-20.
Jorgen Strand Larsen has scored six times in his last six league games, with four of those being the winning goal.
Rayan Ait-Nouri’s 11 goal involvements (four goals, seven assists) is the most by a Premier League defender this season.
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Peter Bankes. Assistants: Lee Betts, Nick Greenhalgh. Fourth official: Thomas Bramall VAR: Paul Tierney. Assistant VAR: Steve Meredith.
MATCH INFO
This one is an 8pm kick off at the Etihad and will be shown live on Sky Sports.