Manchester City will be looking to end a very poor week on a high as they welcome bottom place Wolverhampton Wanderers to the Etihad Stadium.
The Blues have been convincingly beaten by Manchester United and Bodo Glimt since last Saturday and are still struggling with injuries in key areas.
And despite their league position, Wolves will be no pushovers having gone unbeaten in five games in all competitions.
Here are five things to look out for as City face Rob Edwards’s side:
Guehi’s debut
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 17: Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace and Phil Foden of Manchester City embrace after the Emirates FA Cup Final match between Crystal Palace and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on May 17, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 17: Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace and Phil Foden of Manchester City embrace after the Emirates FA Cup Final match between Crystal Palace and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on May 17, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
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Pep Guardiola confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Marc Guehi will make his City debut on Saturday, having joined from Crystal Palace at the beginning of the week.
The 25-year-old elected to join the Blues now rather than wait for the summer, where Arsenal and Liverpool were expected to make approaches for his signature.
The former Palace captain joins in a £20 million deal, on a wage much lower than the reported figure of £300,000 a week, according to Daily Mail City correspondent Jack Gaughan.
Centre back options are short for City at the moment. Josko Gvardiol is out for the season, Ruben Dias remains a few weeks off recovering from a muscle injury and John Stones has been out for nearly two months with an injury that can’t be explained by the City boss.
Abdukodir Khusanov will likely be Guehi’s partner. Max Alleyne is still quite unpolished, and was arguably at fault for the first two goals against Bodo Glimt, whilst Nathan Ake was poor against Manchester United and has also been playing with strapping on his left leg.
Haaland starting despite calls for the bench
BODO, NORWAY - JANUARY 20: Erling Haaland of Manchester City reacts during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD7 match between FK Bodo/Glimt and Manchester City at Aspmyra Stadion on January 20, 2026 in Bodo, Norway. (Photo by Michael Regan - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
BODO, NORWAY - JANUARY 20: Erling Haaland of Manchester City reacts during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD7 match between FK Bodo/Glimt and Manchester City at Aspmyra Stadion on January 20, 2026 in Bodo, Norway. (Photo by Michael Regan - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
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Eight games without a non-penalty goal for Erling Haaland is his longest stretch since his spell at Molde as a teenager.
The Norwegian forward was one of four players, along with Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias and Rodri, to contribute to the refunded ticket prices of the travelling City supporters for the midweek defeat to Bodo Glimt.
He seems to be starting every game at the moment (including against Exeter City) and he’s running on fumes with no natural backup behind him.
Omar Marmoush is back from AFCON and can be brought in, but I don’t see him as a natural number nine, so I think the team will suffer more in Haaland’s absence than with him.
This could be the ideal fixture for Haaland to get back into the swing of things. He’s scored a hattrick in his previous two appearances against Wolves at the Etihad, and whilst that might be a bit steep to ask from him, if anyone can do it it’s the 25-year-old.
Mane causing City problems
WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 18: Mateus Mane of Wolverhampton Wanderers during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Newcastle United at Molineux on January 18, 2026 in Wolverhampton, England. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 18: Mateus Mane of Wolverhampton Wanderers during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Newcastle United at Molineux on January 18, 2026 in Wolverhampton, England. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
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The shining light for Wolves in the last few weeks has been young midfielder Mateus Mane.
The 18-year-old’s form has improved the side from having just two points at Christmas to now being within a reasonable distance of 19th place Burnley.
He’s found his place in the centre of midfield and you can expect him to be the heart of everything Wolves do if they are to come away from the Etihad Stadium with a point or three.
Semenyo on the left
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - JANUARY 13: Antoine Semenyo of Manchester City celebrates after scoring their side’s first goal during the Carabao Cup Semi Final First Leg match between Newcastle United and Manchester City at St James’ Park on January 13, 2026 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey - Danehouse/Getty Images)
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - JANUARY 13: Antoine Semenyo of Manchester City celebrates after scoring their side’s first goal during the Carabao Cup Semi Final First Leg match between Newcastle United and Manchester City at St James’ Park on January 13, 2026 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey - Danehouse/Getty Images)
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Antoine Semenyo’s first three games for City have been pretty impressive. Two good performances, two goals and one average performance when the whole of the team bar Khusanov and Gianluigi Donnarumma were average at best.
The 26-year-old started on the right and scored against Newcastle, but has perhaps shown a more complete side to his game on the left hand side in the early stages of his City career.
I’d like to see Semenyo start on the left, and whether that means it’s Marmoush, Jeremy Doku or Rayan Cherki on the right, I don’t mind.
All the players mentioned have the flexibility to play across the front line, so things are able to change in game.
A win to end a terrible week and to start an important one
BODO, NORWAY - JANUARY 20: Players of Manchester City applaud the fans after the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD7 match between FK Bodo/Glimt and Manchester City at Aspmyra Stadion on January 20, 2026 in Bodo, Norway. (Photo by Martin Ole Wold/Getty Images)
BODO, NORWAY - JANUARY 20: Players of Manchester City applaud the fans after the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD7 match between FK Bodo/Glimt and Manchester City at Aspmyra Stadion on January 20, 2026 in Bodo, Norway. (Photo by Martin Ole Wold/Getty Images)
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Things were looking up for City after an emphatic 10-1 FA Cup third round victory and a workmanlike performance leading to a 2-0 win away to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup semi final second leg.
But the last two results mean City have come crashing back down to earth. Nevertheless, Arsenal and Aston Villa’s recent stutters mean City are still clinging on in the title race, and I back the Blues to get back into winning fashion.
In midweek, they face Galatasaray, knowing a win with a few results going the other way means they’ll automatically qualify for the Round of 16 as the seeded team.
And next Sunday they begin a week of gargantuan importance. They’ll face Tottenham and Liverpool away from home, with the Carabao Cup semi final second leg sandwiched in between.
Hopefully the two last performances and results will be the wake up call the squad desperately needs to get back to winning ways.