90min
·15 September 2022
90min
·15 September 2022
Wolverhampton Wanderers host reigning Premier League champions Manchester City in the Premier League.
Saturday's lunchtime offering pits the division's lowest scorers against its most goal-greedy outfit. Wolves have found the net just three times this season, less than a third of Erling Haaland's individual league tally of ten.
However, Bruno Lage's side ended a 12-game wait for victory with a narrow win - how else would Wolves do it - against Southampton a fortnight ago. City, conversely, are unbeaten since losing the Community Shield, coming from behind to edge past Borussia Dortmund in midweek.
Here's everything you need to know about the meeting between these two sides.
Wolves: 1 WinManchester City: 4 WinsDraws: 0
Wolves: LWDDWManchester City: WWDWW
Diego Costa is back in the Premier League. The grizzled former Chelsea and Atletico Madrid striker was signed as an emergency option following the ACL tear Sasa Kalajdzic suffered 45 minutes into his Wolves debut. Chiquinho is also a long-term absentee.
Raul Jimenez's pre-season was interrupted with a groin injury but the Mexico international could be available again this weekend while Costa - who has played 19 games in the last 20 months - builds match fitness.
Wolves Starting 11: Sa; Jonny, Collins, Kilman, Ait Nouri; Nunes, Neves, Moutinho; Neto, Jimenez, Podence.Bench: Sarkic, Hwang, Guedes, Semedo, Gomes, Ronan, Traore, Bueno, Costa.
John Stones emphatically returned for City against Borussia Dortmund in midweek with a scorching equaliser but Kyle Walker remains sidelined, placing his involvement this weekend in doubt.
Aymeric Laporte has taken part in his first training sessions of the season in the week leading up to the trip to Wolverhampton. However, City aren't expected to rush the defender back before September's international break.
Manchester City Starting 11: Ederson; Stones, Dias, Ake, Cancelo; De Bruyne, Rodri, Bernardo; Alvarez, Haaland, Foden.Bench: Ortega, Akanji, Phillips, Gundogan, Mahrez, Grealish, Gomez, Palmer, Wilson-Esbrand.
Borussia Dortmund sat deep and frustrated City, denying their listless hosts a shot on target until Stones' thunderbolt in the 80th minute.
Wolves - who have conceded a league-low four times this term - are capable of the same approach, as Pep Guardiola highlighted. "Hopefully we can learn the lesson for Saturday at 12.30 against one of the toughest opponents we have had in the last few years, Wolves.”
Guardiola is a good enough teacher to right the wrongs of Wednesday night - City rarely string a pair of poor performances together - but Wolves won't make it easy for the champions.