Man City vs Wolves LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction today
Follow all the action live from the Etihad
It was the type of game against mid-table opposition at the Etihad that Manchester City typically make light work of and this victory, earned by the 100th Premier League goal of Raheem Sterling’s career, will keep the defending champions at the top of the table this weekend, no matter what happens elsewhere. City were good value for their win, too, improving considerably in the second half.
Yet that improvement and the three points only came once Wolverhampton Wanderers had been reduced to 10 men by one of the most ridiculous, self-inflicted sendings-off you are likely to see this season for Raul Jimenez, while the winning goal only came from a debatable penalty that summed up an inconsistent, at times unauthoritative display by referee Jonathan Moss.
Overall, this was a forgettable affair, and only Jimenez’s bizarre red card warrants committing to memory. At the end of the first half, after already being cautioned for a questionable foul on Rodri, Jimenez refused to move out of the way for the subsequent free-kick then immediately intercepted it, inviting Moss to show him a second yellow and a red.
Wolves’ game plan up to that point had produced a dour, lifeless first half that was nevertheless frustrating City’s attempts to break them down and ultimately working in their favour. Jimenez’s sending off ripped that blueprint up and City proceeded to rip Wolves apart, eventually taking the lead through Sterling and dominating against 10-man opponents in a manner not reflected by the 1-0 scoreline.
Man City vs Wolves: Jesus vs Wolves
Gabriel Jesus likes playing against Wolves. He has scored five goals in three Premier League starts against the midlands team.
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Man City vs Wolves: Wolves to earn away win?
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Man City vs Wolves: Lage on December schedule
Wolves manager Bruno Lage spoke about the jam-packed Premier League schedule across December and how he is preparing to deal with it one game at a time. Lage said:
It’s what I said at the beginning of the month; this is a real test. In the Premier League, every game is a challenge for us, but every time you go to play against these teams it is an opportunity for us to show our work.
“As you know, we played the last game against Liverpool. We were there, we tried to play our game, and I think we did well. We suffered a goal late in the game, but the players did everything I asked.
“Now, one game at a time, we’re just focused on Man City and what we can do. I am sure of two things; they will have more time with the ball than us, and I’m confident when we have the ball, we will play our game – like we did against Liverpool.”
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