Pep Guardiola will be happy with his side’s recent performances, that has seen them climb back into being favourites for a top-five place as well as reaching the FA Cup final. Manchester City swept Nottingham Forest aside in their FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, with goals from Rico Lewis and Omar Marmoush proving enough to set a date with Crystal Palace in the competition’s showdown game; up next for them are Wolves at the Etihad on Friday.
On to league matters, and Manchester City have not lost a game in six attempts since their defeat to Nottingham Forest. Guardiola’s side have stitched together a six-game winning run including three consecutive victories leading up to this clash with Wolves.
Guardiola will want to cement a place as a top-five favourite, with City already in the UEFA Champions League spots at this current moment. However, a tight race for Champions League places is brewing in the background, with as many as five teams fighting to gain three spots that will ensure a place in next season’s premier European competition.
Wolves fans would not have believed had someone told them at the start of the season that heading to this point they would be above Manchester United and Tottenham in the standings. Given how their season began with uncertainty over their ability to survive another ordeal with relegation, the Midlands side have turned it around in an impressive manner, with all the credit reserved for manager Vitor Pereira.
The Portuguese tactician has been the polar opposite of what Gary O’Neil was until the latter’s dismissal. Not only has Pereira got the team out of the relegation conversation, but he has also stitched together a six-game winning run, which does make Wolves the most in-form team in the league probably after Liverpool.
They are currently in 13th place, much closer to a European place than the relegation zone. What is more impressive is that they are ahead of Manchester United and Tottenham in the standings, and that might be the case after Gameweek 38 should they continue maintaining their current form heading to the Etihad.
There might be no changes to the injury list at Manchester City following their FA Cup win at the weekend as they prepare to host Wolves this weekend. Rodri, Nathan Ake, Erling Haaland, and John Stones are missing from action, and they are not expected to return this season.
There are still doubts over Oscar Bobb as well as Ederson Moraes, with the latter already back in training. However, the Brazilian international is unlikely to oust Stefan Ortega from his spot at present. Pep Guardiola is expected to make some changes from the FA Cup semi-final lineup.
Jeremy Doku could come into the lineup in place of Savinho following another sub-par display from the latter, while Phil Foden could make his first league start in nearly a month. Guardiola could continue using Bernardo Silva on the right wing, while Kevin De Bruyne might be kept on the bench once again. Meanwhile, the rest of the side might stay as it was on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ortega; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Lewis, Kovacic; Silva, Foden, Doku; Marmoush
There are not many changes to the Wolves squad either when it comes to injury news. Those injured for the long term like Sasa Kalajdzic, Enso Gonzalez, and Yerson Mosquera are all absent but recovering well from their respective problems.
Sam Johnstone was a miss for the last game against Leicester City, and even if he does regain fitness, Jose Sa will continue as Wolves’ No.1 for the remainder of the campaign. There were some positives in the Leicester City match, as Hwang Hee-chan and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde returned to the bench, with the latter getting some minutes in the second half.
Vitor Pereira is not expected to make any changes to the team that beat Leicester City, as Matheus Cunha and Marshall Munetsi will support Jorgen Strand Larsen in the final third. The Wolves manager is set to retain faith in the midfield and defensive setup, that has allowed them to stitch together a six-game winning run.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Jose Sa; Doherty, Agbadou, Gomes; Semedo, Gomes, Andre, Ait-Nouri; Cunha, Munetsi; Strand Larsen
After a period of suspension that saw him miss four consecutive Premier League fixtures, Cunha has returned in roaring fashion. The Brazilian attacker has four goal contributions in the ensuing three games since his return, and he will look to end the season on a high note.
These could be the final few games he plays in a Wolves shirt, as there are rumours of a move to Manchester United. Ahead of this clash with Manchester City, there will be eyes on Cunha to see how he performs in a big game like this one, and the Brazilian will be fired up to put up another top-notch display.
Wolves might come into this clash not only as England’s most in-form side but in all of Europe’s top five leagues. Vitor Pereira will hope the away side’s form counts for something during the trip to the Etihad, although it will be their toughest encounter during this tremendous run so far.
Manchester City and Wolves could potentially play out a draw going by the form, but Pep Guardiola will see to it that his men come in clutch during this crucial period of the season. Manchester City are expected to beat Wolves in this encounter, and the game could end with a slender advantage for the home side.
