Always Wolves
Always Wolves
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Standing outside the Etihad in bitter wind and cold, the feeling was that Wolves caught a cold right at the start. Manchester City’s tempo from the first whistle made it a long afternoon, and by the time Wolves steadied themselves, the damage was already done.
This was a 2-0 defeat, but it also wasn’t a collapse. Wolves showed some fight late on, created a couple of nervy moments, and at least gave City something to think about in the closing stages.
Match snapshot: what decided Manchester City 2-0 Wolves
City’s opener arrived after seven minutes and it changed everything. Whatever the plan was, stay compact, frustrate, then use pace later, it didn’t survive the early goal.
A few big moments framed the game:
7 minutes: City go 1-0 up, Wolves are on the back foot straight away.
Just before half-time: City grab a second, turning a bad half into a mountain to climb.
Half-time feel: Wolves had offered almost nothing going forward, and the general sense was that City’s pressure had forced errors and panic.
Late spell: Wolves improve, win more corners, carry the ball better, and go close with a set piece that clips the bar.
The wider point was simple. Against a side with City’s movement and press, you need an outlet, something to relieve pressure and help you play higher up. Wolves did not have that early on, and it showed.
A starting shape that left Wolves isolated up front
The biggest complaint leaving the ground was the starting line-up and the lack of a clear focal point. The view from the away end was that Wolves set up to absorb pressure, but without any proper way to hold the ball up or stretch City.
There was also surprise at seeing attacking options held back. With players like Tolu not starting, and Jorgen left on the bench at kick-off, it raised an obvious question: where were Wolves’ goals meant to come from once they went behind?
Hwang led the line and took most of the heat. The criticism was blunt: his first-half showing was described as “appalling”, with too much aimless running and too little threat. City’s centre-backs looked comfortable, and Wolves struggled to get out.
That lack of an outlet fed into a bigger issue: intensity. City started fast, pressed hard, and forced Wolves into rushed passes and loose decisions. Wolves did not match that physical edge early on either. City players were quick to get tight, nudge, and disrupt, while Wolves struggled to impose themselves.
At this level, if you give City a clean, calm opening spell, they turn it into control. Wolves did exactly that.
The first goal: a cross allowed, a finish bundled over the line
The opener came from a cross that Wolves will feel should have been stopped earlier. Hugo Bueno was singled out as someone who would be disappointed, because City’s Matheus Nunes was allowed the space to deliver from wide.
In the middle, Yerson Mosquera went to attack the ball, but City got a touch first and it flew past José Sá. It was the kind of scruffy finish that still counts, and it put Wolves into a position they did not look ready for.
The frustration was not just the goal, but what it did to the match. City, already intense, suddenly had a lead to protect as well as a press to feed from. Wolves looked spooked rather than sparked.
The penalty appeal and a rare bit of respect for THE REF
There was a moment when City appealed for a penalty and the referee was sent to the pitchside monitor. What stood out was the decision that followed. The referee, in his first Premier League game, didn’t cave in after the review and stuck with his original call.
That got genuine praise. Fans are used to seeing monitor checks end with the on-field decision being overturned, so it was refreshing to see a referee back himself.
The second goal before half-time: quality, but Wolves switched off
Wolves badly needed to reach the break at 1-0. Instead, City found a second, and that felt like the killer blow.
The bigger concern was what happened just before it. Wolves didn’t chase the build-up with enough purpose. City passed and moved, Wolves watched, and once City get into that rhythm, they pick the lock sooner or later.
At 2-0 down at the Etihad, it becomes less about tactics and more about survival. Wolves had to show something after the break, and they did, but the timing mattered. City had already taken the game where they wanted it.
Second half response: better shape, more bravery, but it came too late
Wolves made changes straight away. Jorgen Strand Larsen came on for Arias, who had not been in the game. Rodrigo Gomes replaced Jackson, who had struggled badly against City’s pace and movement.
The impact was clear. Wolves suddenly had players willing to carry the ball, take a risk, and at least try to turn City around. Rodrigo Gomes was praised for always having a go, even when the safe option is tempting.
Later, Tolu came on for Hwang, and that switch changed the feel again. With bigger forwards on the pitch, Wolves could finally:
Hold the ball up under pressure
Bring runners into play
Put City’s defenders in a physical contest
Turn clearances into second balls and corners
It wasn’t perfect, but it was a proper attempt to change the match, and it forced City into a more serious defensive spell than they’d faced in the first hour.
Late pressure, a near miss, and a reminder of what intensity looks like
Wolves grew into the second half and had a couple of moments that made City uncomfortable. There was a corner that hit the top of the bar, and for a short spell Wolves were winning fouls, earning set pieces, and forcing blocks.
Mateus Mane was highlighted for a much-improved second half, driving with the ball and drawing multiple defenders. When he runs at players, Wolves look like they can actually hurt teams.
There was also a telling moment late on. In the 92nd minute, two City players threw themselves in to block a shot, then teammates swarmed them as if they’d scored. That hunger to protect the clean sheet summed up the difference. Wolves improved, but City’s edge never dropped.
Still, one positive stood out. Wolves did not fold. Earlier in the season, some teams might have let this turn into three or four. Wolves kept going, and that matters going into the next fixtures.
Conclusion: a loss that still leaves a lesson
Manchester City 2-0 Wolves came down to the opening spell, Wolves didn’t match City’s tempo, and the first half left them with too much to do. The second half showed more fight, better ball carrying, and at least a few moments that tested City’s focus. The big takeaway is bravery has to show up from the first whistle, not after the game is already gone. Next up, it’s about turning that late push into a full 90 minutes.
Manchester City 2-0 Wolves: Wrong Start at the Etihad and a Late Rally
Pukka