Manchester City faces Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Etihad Stadium on Friday in a Premier League match. The fixture, often referred to simply as man city vs wolves, sees the reigning champions look to consolidate their position near the top of the table.
Manchester City sits third ahead of the match, pursuing Champions League qualification. They have found consistent form, remaining unbeaten since early March and securing victories in four of their last five Premier League outings. This run included a recent win that secured their place in the FA Cup final. For manchester city - wolves, securing maximum points at home is the immediate focus.
Conversely, Wolverhampton Wanderers arrives in Manchester on a run of six consecutive league victories. This form has lifted Vitor Pereira's side to 13th in the standings, ensuring their safety from the relegation battle. They are playing with confidence despite having little left to compete for this season.
In the last five meetings between the two clubs, Manchester City holds the advantage with four wins compared to Wolves' one victory. The reverse fixture in October 2024 saw Manchester City secure a late 2-1 win at Molineux.
For Manchester City, there is positive news regarding player availability. Forward Erling Haaland has returned to full training, potentially making the matchday squad. Midfielder Rodri has also begun an individual training program. Defenders John Stones and Nathan Ake remain out, but goalkeeper Ederson is available after returning to the bench last weekend. You can find more information on Manchester City players here.
Wolves manager Vitor Pereira has several players sidelined. Yerson Mosquera, Enso Gonzalez, Leon Chiwome, and Sasa Kalajdzic are recovering from fitness issues. Sam Johnstone and Pedro Lima were doubts for the game. Matheus Cunha has been a recent standout for Wolves, notably in their recent victory over Leicester City. Details on the Wolverhampton Wanderers squad are available.
Both sides fielded teams reflecting their available players. Manchester City's starting lineup included Ederson, Matheus Nunes, Rúben Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly, Gündogan, Kovacic, Silva, De Bruyne, Doku, and Marmoush. The Wolves starting XI featured José Sá, Doherty, Agbadou, Toti Gomes, Nélson Semedo, João Gomes, André, Aït-Nouri, Munetsi, Bellegarde, and Matheus Cunha. Live coverage of the match is available.
The match is expected to challenge Manchester City despite their home advantage and Wolves' position in the table. Wolves' current form suggests they can trouble opponents, but City has a clear motivation to earn points in the push for Champions League places. Updates from across the Premier League can be found here.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola recently commented on his future plans.
"I’ve said, when I finish my time here, I don’t know, one year, two year, three years, four, five, six, I don’t know, I will take a break. I’m not retire but I’ll take a break for sure.”
