Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. Manchester City – prediction, aggregation news, lineups
Two Premier Alliance teams gluttonous to apace move on from their midweek EFL Cup exits will face off at Molineux on Saturday as Wolverhampton Wanderers comedy host to Manchester City.
While Gary O’Neil’s ancillary were baffled 3-2 abroad adjoin Championship club Ipswich Town on Tuesday, Pep Guardiola’s men suffered a attenuate 1-0 accident at Newcastle United on Wednesday.
Match preview
Wolverhampton Wanderers administrator Gary O’Neil on September 26, 2023© Reuters
O’Neil has been larboard with affluence to appraise afterward an exceptionable four-match winless run in all competitions, with back-to-back alliance defeats to Crystal Palace and Liverpool followed by a arguable 1-1 draw at Luton Town aftermost weekend and their midweek EFL Cup defeat to Ipswich.
Wolves were two goals advanced central the aperture 15 account at Portman Road acknowledgment to strikes from Hwang Hee-chan and Toti Gomes, but Ipswich bound adequate adequation afore Jack Taylor’s amazing all-embracing bang completed the improvement amid through the additional half.
The West Midlands accouterments acknowledgment to home clay this weekend area they accept already absent two Premier Alliance amateur adjoin Brighton & Hove Albion and Liverpool, and it is fair to say that the accoutrement architect was not affectionate to O’Neil’s ancillary who accept Man City, Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur up abutting at Molineux.
Since accomplishing the bifold over Man City in the 2019-20 season, acceptable 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium and 3-2 on home soil, Wolves accept absent anniversary of their aftermost six affairs with the Citizens by an accumulated account of 19-3, including a 3-0 defeat aftermost season, admitting while arena for about an hour with 10 men.
Sitting 16th in the Premier Alliance table and aerial aloof three credibility aloft the assignment zone, with both Luton and Burnley beneath them possessing a bold in hand, defeat for Wolves on Saturday would see them lose their aperture three home amateur of a alliance division for aloof the third time in their history afterwards 1986-87 and 2021-22.
Manchester City administrator Pep Guardiola pictured on September 23, 2023© Reuters
For aloof the additional time in 39 amateur in 90 account beyond all competitions, Man City tasted defeat afterwards they were almost baffled by Newcastle United in the EFL Cup on Wednesday, abolition out in the third annular for the aboriginal time in a decade.
In a bold of two behindhand amid two teams who had fabricated several changes to their lineups, Alexander Isak’s 53rd-minute bang acclimatized the contest, with the Citizens ultimately declining to acknowledge to activity a ambition bottomward afterward a ascendant aboriginal bisected in possession.
Pep Guardiola was abounding of acclaim for his players admitting the defeat, and while an aberrant quadruple is now not on the cards, City’s avenue from the EFL Cup can at atomic abolish one antagonism from their already animated accoutrement agenda that will anon accommodate Club World Cup matches in Saudi Arabia.
Man City, who sit top of the Premier Alliance table afterwards acceptable anniversary of their aboriginal six games, are now advancing for three afterwards abroad accessories aural eight days, with Saturday’s cruise to Wolves followed by visits to RB Leipzig in the Champions Alliance and a top-flight showdown with Arsenal.
The ascendant champions accept addicted memories of their aftermost three visits to Molineux, acceptable all three by an accumulated account of 11-2 and scoring at atomic three on anniversary occasion; addition achievement on Saturday would see City win their aperture seven amateur of a top-flight division for the aboriginal time in their history.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Premier Alliance form:
Manchester City’s Rodri walks off the angle afterwards actuality beatific off on September 23, 2023© Reuters
Wolves currently accept a apple-pie bill of health, but they will be afterwards midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde who will serve the additional of his three-match ban this weekend afterwards actuality beatific off adjoin Luton, while Man City loanee Tommy Doyle is disqualified to face his ancestor club.
After authoritative 10 changes in midweek, O’Neil is accepted to backslide to a agnate ancillary that began adjoin Luton, with goalkeeper Jose Sa set to be adequate by a aback four of Nelson Semedo, Craig Dawson, Max Kilman and Rayan Ait-Nouri.
The absence of Bellegarde and Doyle could see Boubacar Traore handed a alpha in centre-midfield alongside Mario Lemina and Joao Gomes, while Pedro Neto and Matheus Cunha could be recalled in advance to alpha alongside Hwang Hee-chan.
As for Man City, Rodri is abeyant afterwards actuality beatific off for agitated conduct in the 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest aftermost weekend, while Kevin De Bruyne (hamstring), John Stones (muscle) and Bernardo Silva (leg) all abide alone with injuries.
The Citizens were additional by the acknowledgment of Mateo Kovacic in midweek and he could abide in centre-midfield alongside either Kalvin Phillips or Matheus Nunes, who is assertive to acknowledgment to accustomed area afterwards abrogation Wolves in the summer.
Guardiola is set to anamnesis a cardinal of stars who were adequate in midweek including Ederson, Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Phil Foden and Erling Haaland, the closing of whom denticulate four goals beyond two amateur adjoin Wolves aftermost season.
Wolverhampton Wanderers accessible starting lineup:
Sa; Semedo, Dawson, Kilman, Ait-Nouri; Gomes, Traore, Lemina; Neto, Cunha, Hwang
Manchester City accessible starting lineup:
Ederson; Walker, Akanji, Dias, Ake; Kovacic, Nunes; Foden, Alvarez, Doku; Haaland
SM words blooming background
We say: Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-4 Manchester City
Man City tend to acknowledge able-bodied from accessory setbacks and they will be advised as able favourites to animation aback with a achievement adjoin an out-of-sorts Wolves accouterments this weekend.
The hosts will adorned their affairs of award the net accepting denticulate in anniversary of their aftermost nine alliance amateur at Molineux, but Guardiola’s ancillary should accept few problems outscoring their opponents en avenue to a adequate win in the West Midlands.
For abstracts assay of the best acceptable results, scorelines and added for this bout amuse bang here.