Wolves will host Manchester City at Molineux in their Premier League season opener on Saturday, looking to begin their campaign on a strong note.
Manchester City are undoubtedly the better team heading into the game vs Wolves, and they will be the favourites to grind out all three points when the two sides face off at Molineux on Saturday. The Citizens have picked up nine wins from the last ten matches against Wolves in all competitions.
Pep Guardiola’s men were quite impressive towards the end of last season, and they will look to continue that form. However, City failed to challenge for major trophies last season, and Guardiola will be determined to win the Premier League title. They need to start the season strongly to send out a statement of intent to their rivals.
On the other hand, Wolves will be major underdogs here, and if they manage to grind out a good result, it could give them a huge confidence boost. It will be interesting to see which of the two teams comes out on top. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the upcoming meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Wolves
Vitor Pereira does not have any major injury issues heading into this contest, and the Wolves boss should be able to field a full-strength lineup vs Manchester City on Saturday. Leon Chiwone is the only absentee due to a knee injury.
Jose Sa will start in goal for Wolves, who are likely to shape up in a 3-4-2-1 formation this weekend. Next, in the back three, Toti Gomes will start alongside Emmanuel Agbadou and Matt Doherty. Ki-Jana Hoever and David Miller-Wolfe may start as the wing-backs. They will look to keep things tight defensively and hit Manchester City on the counter.
As for the midfield unit, Joao Gomes will start alongside Andre in the middle of the park. They will look to keep things tight defensively and protect the defensive unit.
Jhon Arias and Fer Lopez will start as the attacking midfielders, and they are likely to drift into the wide areas as well. They will look to create opportunities for their teammates in the attack. Finally, Jorgen Strand Larsen will lead the line for Wolves vs Manchester City.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Sa; Doherty, Agbadou, Toti Gomes; Hoever, Joao Gomes, Andre, Wolfe; Lopez, Arias; Strand Larsen
Manchester City
Rodri is sidelined for a few weeks after suffering a setback during pre-season. Meanwhile, Mateo Kovacic has been ruled out for a couple of months with an Achilles injury. Phil Foden also picked up an ankle issue earlier, and he is likely to miss out.
Manchester City will start in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Wolves, with Ederson Moraes in goal. Matheus Nunes and Rayan Ait-Nouri will start as the full-backs. They will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Meanwhile, Ruben Dias will start alongside Josko Gvardiol at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Tijjani Reinders will start alongside Nico Gonzalez. They will look to control the game from deep and dominate the midfield contest. Rayan Cherki will start as the central attacking midfielder, and he will look to create opportunities in the final third with his technical ability, vision, and passing.
Jeremy Doku and Omar Marmoush will start on the flanks. They will look to add more cutting-edge in the final third and support Erling Haaland in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, Ait-Nouri; Gonzalez, Reijnders; Doku, Marmoush; Haaland
Key Stats
Manchester City have won nine of their last ten matches against Wolves in all competitions.
Manchester City have won six of their last seven matches in the Premier League.
19 goals have been scored in the last six matches between Wolves and Manchester City.
Manchester City have scored 15 goals in the last six matches vs Wolves.
Manchester City have lost only one of their last 31 Premier League games in August (W26 D4), going down 1-0 at Tottenham Hotspur in their opening game of the 2021/22 season. They have won their last eight matches in the month by an aggregate score of 25-5.
Player to Watch
Rayan Cherki
The French playmaker will look to make his mark in the Premier League on his debut. Cherki did quite well during pre-season, and he was one of the finest young players in European football last season. After all, no player provided more assists in Ligue 1 last term than Cherki (11).
The Frenchman was also involved in 13 goals in his last 15 league appearances for Lyon (5 goals, 8 assists). There is no doubt that the 21-year-old is a tremendous talent, and he could prove to be a key player for Manchester City here. Wolves are likely to sit back and take a defensive approach. Manchester City will need Cherki’s ingenuity to unlock the home defence.
Prediction
Wolves 1-3 Manchester City
Manchester City will be the firm favourites to pick up a win here, and they should be able to get the job done. Wolves looked quite vulnerable defensively last season, and they have not improved a lot in that area of the pitch. Manchester City have enough firepower to cause all sorts of problems for them.
Both teams are likely to get on the scoresheet, but Manchester City should be able to pick up a comfortable victory away from home. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Pep Guardiola and his charges.