Game Week 8 Predictions: City to beat Wolves at the Molineux

Wolves vs. Manchester City, analyzing injuries, form, key matchups. Can Wolves stop Haaland, or will City take a step closer to defending their title.

Manchester City could go top with a win at Wolves, how will this play out? (Photo credit: Sky Sports)

 Wolves vs. Manchester City

Molineux Stadium

2:00pm

Manchester City can steer clear of the Gunners with a win at the Molineux on Sunday after watching Arsenal lose at Bournemouth. It’s a huge incentive for the champions, who clearly see Arsenal as the team to fend off on their way to their fifth straight title.

Wolves have failed to secure any points in their recent games; they have suffered five consecutive losses in the Premier League, and their situation could worsen when Pep Guardiola's Manchester City visits their city. The last team you want to face when you’re on a bad run is one like the Champions.

It's a fixture you expect to go one way, but football has a way of teaching us new things every matchday. Wolves has already defeated the Cityzens under Portuguese manager Nuno Espirito Santo, and they now hope to repeat the feat.

Manchester City is in a favorable place regardless of the harsh injury to Rodri; the champions won’t be able to call on Kevin De Bruyne as he’s not ready to feature, according to Guardiola, who also hinted that some of his players returned with bugs from the international break.

Wolves are also somewhat depleted due to injuries that have affected many of their first team players. Hwang Hee Chan is unavailable while Yerson Mosquera is out for the rest of the season with the deadly ACL injury. Boubacar Traore will return in December, but the good news is that Sasa Kalajdzic is back in training.

Scoring isn’t a problem for the home side, but they have managed to concede more than they score, with the last game against Brentford coming to mind. How can you score three goals against a team like the Bees and still fail to secure at least a point? How can you achieve a five-point lead against Brentford?

Against the champions, Mario Lemina, Andre, and Joao Gomes are expected to lead the midfield charge; they will go toe-to-toe with Matteo Kovacic, and anyone else Guardiola decides to throw into the middle from his pool of defenders.

Can Matthew Cunha and Strand Larsen find joy against a city defense that typically concedes? Here’s one data point Wolves wouldn’t like to see: Erling Haaland has scored more goals against Wolves than any team else in the Premier League; can they stop him on Sunday?

Verdict: Straight Win City.