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Manchester City welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday as the defending champions look to keep the pressure on Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table.
Wolves were quite impressive against the league’s big boys last term and racked up several incredible results. However, Nuno Espirito Santo’s men failed to get the better of the Cityzens in 2018-19.
The encounter at the Molineux ended all square whereas the Sky Blues thrashed Wolves 3-0 at the Etihad. Thus, the visitors would be hoping to improve that record on Sunday.
However, the Midland club has failed to scale the peaks it did last campaign. After finishing 7th in the top-flight, Wolves qualified for the Europa League’s preliminary stages, meaning that they had to begin their season a lot earlier and also had to negotiate a tricky qualifying phase.
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Unsurprisingly, the above has led to them underperforming in the league a touch, with Santo’s troops sitting in 13th place. Yet, the away side would be buoyed by their tense 1-0 victory at Besiktas on Thursday, which helped them notch their first victory in Europe.
City, meanwhile, have looked imperious across all competitions and have been scoring quite freely. Apart from a minor blip against Norwich City, the Cityzens have looked in fine fettle, despite a defensive crisis engulfing the club.
In Aymeric Laporte and John Stones’ absence, Pep Guardiola has turned towards Fernandinho and the Brazilian has performed his tasks with aplomb.
As for the offensive third, the likes of Bernardo Silva, Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero have hit the ground running. More importantly, though, Riyad Mahrez has grown into his role on the right flank and looks the most improved player this term.
Thus, footballing logic suggests that City should enjoy another comfortable afternoon at the Etihad, in light of their immense attacking pedigree. Yet, with Wolves’ propensity of ruffling the feathers of the established order, the contest promises to be as engaging as any at the weekend.
Kick-off Information
Date: 6th October 2019
Time: 02:00pm (Local Time); 06:30pm IST
Venue: Etihad Stadium, Manchester
Where to watch: Star Sports Network (India); NBCSN, Universo, fuboTV (USA)
Head to Head Record
Total Matches Played: 120 matches
Manchester City: 48 wins
Wolverhampton Wanderers: 47 wins
Draw: 25 draws
Form Guide (Last five competitive matches; Most recent first)
Manchester City: W-W-W-W-W
Wolverhampton Wanderers: W-W-W-D-L
Player to watch out for
Sergio Aguero
Sergio Aguero has started the 2019-20 season on fire and has produced a series of stunning performances. Despite the term being in its formative stages, the striker has managed to make the net bulge on 8 occasions and has also racked up 2 assists in 471 minutes of league football.
Though Kevin de Bruyne would miss the encounter on Sunday, City possess enough creativity in midfield to carve out chances for the Argentine. And, usually, when that happens, the 31-year-old utilises those openings optimally.
Moreover, Wolves haven’t looked convincing on the defensive front, having already conceded 11 goals in 7 matches. Thus, Aguero would be licking his lips at the prospect of adding to his superlative goal tally.
Betting Tips
Manchester City win: 1.10
Wolverhampton Wanderers win: 21.00
Draw: 10.00
Bookmaker: Sportsbet
