Wolves vs Manchester City prediction, odds and preview

When Manchester City plays Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday lunchtime at Molineux, the top spot in the Premier League standings is on the line.

The hosts haven’t played since defeating Southampton 1-0 on September 3. The Citizens defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the Champions League midweek.

Raul Jimenez is having trouble staying healthy, so Wolves have looked to Premier League champion Diego Costa to lead their attack. The former Chelsea player will return to England for another season with his fiery and contentious playing style.

Daniel Podence scored the game’s lone goal in first-half injury time to give Wolves their first victory of the year two weekends ago. Their trip to Anfield to face Liverpool was postponed as a result of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing. Wolves did not need Costa or Jimenez to defeat Southampton 1-0.

Because of this, Lage’s team still has a three-game unbeaten streak before the champions arrive, but their lack of offensive firepower has only allowed them to go up as high as 14th in the table with a league-low three goals; only West Ham United have been as cautious with their shots.

Wolves have only given up four goals overall this season and one at Molineux.

Man City supporters enjoyed some light relief as Stones and Haaland sparred amicably about whose goal was the more spectacular. Dortmund had pushed Man City all the way, but they prevailed to make it two wins in a row in the 2022–23 Champions League.

Pep Guardiola’s team is back in domestic play for the first time since their 1-1 draw with Aston Villa on September 3. They are still one point behind Arsenal at the top, but a draw would be enough to put them back there before the Gunners play Brentford the following day.

Four of City’s most recent five games have ended in victories, extending their unbeaten streak across all competitions to eight games. It has been more than a year since Guardiola’s team has suffered an away loss in the Premier League; they have won 15 and drawn six games since losing to Tottenham Hotspur in August of last year.

Wolves did defeat the Citizens at Molineux as recently as December 2019—doing the double against them that year—but the champions have since won four straight games against the visitors, and Kevin De Bruyne’s four goals in the game last May guided City to a 5-1 victory.