Man City v Wolverhampton

[Father_Jack_Hackett]

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TEAM NEWS

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini is expected to revert to the side that thrashed Manchester United, having made 11 changes for the midweek Carling Cup win over Saturday's opponents Wolves.

Owen Hargreaves is again ruled out with a minor calf problem.

Wolves must make do without Steven Fletcher for a third successive league game due to a calf problem.

Ronald Zubar and Kevin Foley remain sidelined with respective groin and ankle injuries.

MATCH PREVIEW

When a match looks as one-sided as this does, it sometimes goes the other way. But I must emphasise that it is only sometimes!

Of course, this looks like a comfortable home win. City have scored 11 goals in two matches, five of them against Wolves at Molineux in the Carling Cup on Wednesday, and they will be looking to pile on the agony for Mick McCarthy and his side.

However, Wolves proved stubborn opponents for City last season. I saw the Premier League game at Molineux when Wolves won 2-1, and they caused City problems despite a 4-3 defeat in the reverse fixture. Wolves can only gain encouragement form those two performances.

McCarthy has been suffering at the hands of Wolves' supporters but there is no doubt that the players are right behind him. Win on Saturday, and the fans will soon be chanting his name! The more significant game for Wolves might be next weekend when they play at home to Wigan.

I'm surprised Wolves have gone on such a poor run. It might now be a matter of confidence; they keep conceding the first goal and so are playing matches on the back foot.

Not so City, who are scoring for fun and in David Silva have an early contender for Footballer of the Year. City have done well to not let the Carlos Tevez issue affect their form and a five-point lead at the top shows they are the real deal. My only reservation is that, despite all their great players, it is still a position that's new to most of them. It is too early to say they are the clear title favourites.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

Manchester City are unbeaten at home in the Premier League against Wolves (W2, D1).
Wolves last won at City in August 1999 in a second-tier meeting.
Wolves lead the overall head-to-head by 46 wins to 43, with 24 draws.

Manchester City

Robert Mancini's side have taken 34 points out of the last possible 36.
The league leaders have scored 33 goals, the most by any top-flight team after nine matches since the 19th century. Twenty-five of the 33 goals have come in the second half.
City's 6-1 demolition of Manchester United last Sunday equalled their club record for most goals scored in a Premier League match.
Mario Balotelli has scored five goals from just seven shots on target in the Premier League this season.
David Silva has created the most scoring chances from open play (28) than any other player in the Premier League this season.
Micah Richards is set to make his 200th appearance for the club, and his 150th in the Premier League

Wolves

Wolves, who led the Premier League in August, are winless in seven matches. They ended a run of five successive defeats with the 2-2 draw at home to Swansea last weekend.
Despite their poor run of form, Wolves have gained an unsurpassed four points from losing positions this season.
They have lost all four matches this season against top-half opposition.
They have not scored a league goal earlier than the 40th minute since the opening day of the season, when Steven Fletcher scored after 22 minutes against Blackburn.
Christophe Berra could make his 200th career league start.

 

[tevezrightboot]

As long as we play to our strengths against Wolves on Saturday. I mean a quick passsing game I cannot see Wo;ves coping with that sort of movement which we have with our players. However we do need to start games a lot quicker then we have been doing recently. I frsee Rm maybe resating a couple and keeping them fresh for the game at Villareal on Wednesday, in a game that we have got to win to keep our chanches of qualifing for the Champions League still alive.

 

[Father_Jack_Hackett]

Manchester City survived a nervy 16 minutes playing with 10 men to successfully protect their five-point lead at the top of the table.

Edin Dzeko put City ahead after an error from Wayne Hennessey, who was then unable to hold David Silva's shot, with Aleksandar Kolarov slotting home.

But Vincent Kompany was sent off after conceding a penalty that was converted by Stephen Hunt to give Wolves hope.

However Adam Johnson's curling shot in stoppage time clinched the points.

The three points keep City clear of second-placed Manchester United, who earlier on Saturday had beaten Everton 1-0 at Goodison Park.

City never quite reached the heights of their 6-1 demolition of United and had it not been for Joe Hart's fumble that led to Kompany's dismissal, Roberto Mancini's side should have made this game safe long before Johnson extended their two-goal advantage.

Given City have scored 11 goals in their last two games - with five of those against Wolves in their midweek Carling Cup meeting - the visitors could have been forgiven for approaching Saturday's game with a degree of trepidation.

But not a bit of it as Wolves deployed men and grit behind the ball to stifle Mancini's league leaders in a first-half that proved very frustrating for City.

That Wolves reached half-time on level terms had much to do with the ulimately luckless Hennessey, who was in action in the opening minute to tip away Samir Nasri's shot following a City corner.

That was one of three superb saves Hennessey made in the opening 45 minutes, the best of which was from Dzeko, who had been released by a slick interchange involving Silva and Sergio Ageuro.

At times Hennessey rode his luck - notably when he was unable to hold a Dzeko cross - while the Wolves keeper was also helped by some off-key City finishing, notably when Aguero put the ball wide after he had been set up by Micah Richards.

However all Hennessey's good work went to waste on 52 minutes when he dawdled on the ball.

Aguero was quick to block Hennessey's attempted clearance and the ball kindly bounced to Dzeko, who had the simplest of tasks in putting City ahead.

Midway through the second half Wolves found themselves 2-0 behind after Hennessey was unable to hold a Silva shot and the ball fell to Kolarov who volleyed home for his first Premier League goal.

That should have been that, only for Hart to catch a dose of the Hennessey wobbles in spilling Adlene Guedioura's long-range shot.

Kevin Doyle reacted more quickly than Kompany and as the Belgian defender hauled down the Wolves striker he gave away a penalty as well as earning himself a red card.

Hunt sent Hart the wrong way with his spot-kick, but Wolves were never really to threaten the City keeper again despite their numerical superiority.

And in the first minute of stoppage time, Johnson's beautifully judged curling shot ensured City's deserved victory.