Wolves stun Manchester City in counterattacking masterclass

Wolves secured a shock 2-1 win over Manchester City at the Molineux on Saturday afternoon. Despite the result, Pep Guardiola’s side stay top of the Premier League standings. It was their first Premier League defeat this season. 

It was the visitors who dominated the early proceedings with their fluid passing display and possession-based game. Jeremy Doku almost broke the deadlock in the 7th minute, all before the hosts took a shock lead.

Ruben Dias put the ball into his own net as he failed to deal with Pedro Neto’s cross.

Despite falling behind, Pep Guardiola’s side played with composure but failed to create any clear-cut opportunities up front. Wolves keeper Jose Sa made a string of several comfortable saves from Dias and Nathan Ake. This saw the home side go into the break with their lead intact. 

Wolves are the first team to stop Manchester City in the league this season

City restored parity in the 58th minute through a piece of individual brilliance from Julian Alvarez. The Argentine striker whipped in a curling effort towards the near corner past Sa to get his side level.

However, eight minutes later, Wolves restored their lead when Hwang Hee-chan slammed into an empty net. The goal came after a moment of chaos in the City box. 

The reigning Champions almost made it 2-2 just seconds later but Craig Dawson did brilliantly to keep the ball off the line from Manuel Akanji’s effort.

Throughout the game, Wolves displayed a robust defensive effort keeping Erling Haaland quiet over the course of 90 minutes, and then looked equally dangerous on the counterattack. 

The result will come as a massive boost for Wolves who have played admirably earlier against Liverpool and Manchester United this season but lost on both occasions. City still lead the pack with 18 points from seven games and will look to bounce back quickly when they travel to the Emirates for a top-of-the-table clash against Arsenal next weekend.

Photo credit: IMAGO / PA Images