Will City get their sixth win in a row?
Although it sounds like a straightforward affair on paper, some on the Wolves side will remember that their last away win at the reigning champions came against Manchester City in the 19/20 season. On that occasion, they prevailed 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium.
Nevertheless, the Citizens go into the match as clear favourites. For the first time this season, the reigning champions start a matchday as league leaders. They don’t want to give up their place in the sun. With Liverpool and Chelsea as the closest pursuers, a win in front of the home crowd is therefore a must.
Although both teams impress with strong defences, a spectacle can be expected at the Etihad Stadium at any time. Just last March, Guardiola’s charges came out on top with an emphatic 4-1 win over Wolves. We check out the alternatives for Manchester City vs Wolverhampton on tip 1 in our preview.
Manchester City – Statistics & Current Form
Pep Guardiola’s men were able to return to the top of the table last matchday for the first time since their championship last season. Overall, they are playing a record-breaking 2021 calendar year across the season. They have won 31 out of a total of 39 league games. With five games remaining this year, the chance to beat Liverpool’s 1982 record of 32 wins in a calendar year seems greater than ever.
Finally saddle up
Most notable this season has been the often criticised defence. With just nine goals conceded after 15 matchdays, City have by far the best defence in the league. In view of the situation in the league table, everyone is happy to accept that the attack has lost a little of its scoring threat in return.
All eyes on Jesus, Sterling and Silva
For the upcoming clash against Wolverhampton, one man in particular is in focus. Gabriel Jesus merely prefers to score against Everton than against Wolves. Whenever he starts against them, he scores. So far he has scored a total of five goals against them.
At the moment, midfielder Bernardo Silva is particularly responsible for scoring goals on the part of the Skyblues. The Portuguese has scored six times in his last eight Premier League appearances. With this run, he surpassed his previous five goals for which he needed a whole 61 games. He has already netted seven times this season, making him the most prolific midfielder in the league.
The next player who could attract attention with a goal is Raheem Sterling. The lively pace dribbler has stabilised this season after initial problems and is once again a permanent fixture in the team. Should he score against Wolves, he could increase his Premier League goal tally from 99 to 100, making him only the 32nd player to reach that mark. He would also be the eighth youngest ever at the age of 27.
Therefore, it is essential to check the odds for goal betting on Manchester City against Wolverhampton.
Back to old home strength
After experiencing a bit of a slump at the Etihad, City have managed to bounce back, losing just one of their last eight home games. They have won six and drawn one. In addition, Guardiola’s team is particularly strong on Saturdays at 12:30. Only one of the last league games was lost at early noon. In the current season, all three games were won at the same time. In Manchester City vs. Wolverhampton, the betting odds speak a clear language in favour of the reigning champions, who have the utmost confidence with five consecutive wins and reaching the last 16 of the Champions League.
Predicted Manchester City line-up:
Ederson – Cancelo, Laporte, Dias, Walker – Silva, Rodrigo, Gündogan – Foden, Jesus, Sterling
Last matches played by Manchester City:
Champions League Grp. A
12/07 2021 – RB Leipzig 2 – 1 Manchester City
Premier League
12/04 2021 – Watford 1 – 3 Manchester City
12/01 2021 – Aston Villa 1 – 2 Manchester City
11/28 2021 – Manchester City 2 – 1 West Ham
Champions League Grp. A
11/24 2021 – Manchester City 2 – 1 Paris Saint-Germain
Wolverhampton – Statistics & current form
Wolves strong away
In the recent past, Wolves cut a good figure away from home. They have lost only one of their last six away appearances. In addition, they were able to record three victories. This means they have picked up more points in the last seven away games than in the 17 away games before that.
Traore meets favourite opponent
Even though most of the duels between the two sides have been in Manchester City’s favour, Adama Traore has been able to score consistently. Against no other team in the Premier League did the fast winger score more often than against City. He has already scored three goals.
Striker Raul Jimenez also has a respectable statistic against the Skyblues. In the last three meetings with City, he has been directly involved in a total of five goals, scoring two himself and setting up three others.
Awesome at the back, awful at the front
A look at the tableau confirms that the Wolves are playing a decent season. If you take a closer look at their own goal statistics, it immediately becomes clear what the good points haul is due to. The men of coach Bruno Miguel Silva do Nascimento, who was without a club before the season, have the fourth-best defence in the league with only 13 goals conceded. The five-man backline around captain Coady is one of the most stable in the league. Most recently, Liverpool could sing a song about it when they scored the 1-0 winner against Wolves in the fourth minute of injury time.
The attack, on the other hand, is quite controversial and a cause for concern. It is hard to believe, given the individual class in their own ranks, but Wolverhampton have the worst offence after last-placed Norwich. Jimenez and co. have only scored twelve goals this season. That gives them an average of 0.80 goals per game. The last four competitive matches, in which a maximum of one goal was scored in each match, were anything but a spectacle. So far this season, there have only been three games with more than two goals in total.
Apart from the fact that Wolverhampton last beat a reigning champion away from home against City in 2019, almost all the predictions are in favour of the Skyblues when it comes to Manchester City vs Wolverhampton. In addition, the visitors, unlike the home team, do not like to play at 12:30 on Saturdays at all. Wolves have lost their last three games at this time. Given the style of play, it can be assumed that the Wolves will first stabilise their own defence and lurk on the counterattack. The longer the 0:0 can be held, the greater the chance of taking something home.
Last weekend’s defeat against Liverpool and the two successive draws against bottom-placed Norwich and relegation candidates Burnley mean that Wolves have been without a win for more than three games. For the upcoming match Manchester City vs. Wolverhampton another reason to recommend betting odds in favour of the hosts.
Predicted Wolverhampton line-up:
Jose Sa – Semedo, Kilman, Coady, Saiss, Nouri – Neves, Dendoncker – Traore, Jimenez, Hwang
Last matches played by Wolverhampton:
Premier League
12/04 2021 – Wolverhampton 0 – 1 Liverpool FC
12/01 2021 – Wolverhampton 0 – 0 Burnley
11/27 2021 – Norwich 0 – 0 Wolverhampton
11/20 2021 – Wolverhampton 1 – 0 West Ham
11/06 2021 – Crystal Palace 2 – 0 Wolverhampton
Manchester City – Wolverhampton Direct comparison / H2H record
Good chance the defensive lines will be put to the test in the upcoming clash. If history is anything to go by, the encounter between the two teams is the highest scoring pairing ever in English football since data was collected in 1988. A total of 437 goals were scored in 114 matches. This season, given the two strong defensive lines, a game contrary to those statistics could follow.
Manchester City – Wolverhampton Tip
Nobody is more likely to be welcomed to the Etihad than Wolves. City have lost only one of their last home games against Wolverhampton across competitions and have won six themselves. Moreover, there is hardly a worse moment to face Guardiola’s side, who are in top form and have hardly any absentees.
Nevertheless, the visitors will once again focus on their strong defence. Even though they lost 1-0 against Tottenham, Manchester United and most recently Liverpool, they were able to make life difficult for each of these heavyweights. The same approach is expected against the league leaders
– Manchester City have the best defence in the league (only 9 goals conceded).
– Manchester City have won their last five league games.
– With Bernardo Silva, the Skyblues currently have the midfielder with the highest goalscoring potential in their ranks
– Wolverhampton have the second-worst attack in the league
– Wolves have the fourth best defence in the league (only 13 goals conceded)
It could be a waiting game for the Skyblues. Should the visitors’ defensive bar be broken early in the game, it could also be a straightforward affair. On the other hand, given City’s own defensive strength, we think they are well prepared for Wolves’ counterattacks and therefore recommend betting on a win for City without conceding a goal. We bet 7 units on this. If you don’t want to predict a winner, you could bet on a game with less than 3.5 goals
