Important Facts
- Manchester City goes into the game in second place (43 points), seven points behind Arsenal and level on points with Aston Villa; any slip-up will weigh heavily in the title race.
- Wolverhampton is bottom (8 points), six points behind Burnley and 14 points from safety; draws are of little help, so Edwards’ team desperately needs wins.
- City looks vulnerable defensively: Dias, Gvardiol, and Stones are out, and Guardiola has conceded goals in four of his last five games (80%).
- The Wolves are coming off five competitive games without defeat, scoring in four of five games and not conceding a goal in the last five second halves.
- The head-to-head record is clear: City have won four of the last five games without a draw, scoring every time (13:4 goals), and the Wolves have never kept a clean sheet.
- In betting terms, the numbers also point to goals: City are 1.2 favorites, and “Both teams to score: Yes” seems plausible given City’s absences and Wolves’ scoring streak.
Seven points behind Arsenal, level on points with Aston Villa and with a shaky defense, Manchester City can hardly afford any slip-ups in the title race when Wolverhampton Wanderers visit the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, January 24, for the 23rd matchday of the Premier League. Pep Guardiola’s team goes into the game in second place with 43 points, while Rob Edwards travels to Manchester with Wolves at the bottom of the table (eight points, six behind Burnley) – every point now feels like a classic relegation battle point. City’s recent league haul has been below par: Before their latest resurgence, they went four games without a win, and during the week they suffered a 3-1 defeat at Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League; Rodri’s red card has no impact on the domestic competition. Haaland has cooled off a bit in front of goal by his own standards, but Marmoush gives Guardiola another option on Saturday. The head-to-head record has been pretty one-sided recently: City won 4-0 at Molineux in August and usually scores at will against Wolves, even though Wolverhampton managed to steal a 2-1 win in 2023. Guardiola has to improvise in defense without Dias, Gvardiol, and Stones, so new signing Guehi could make his debut alongside Khusanov.
- Venue: Etihad Stadium, Manchester
- Date and time: January 24, 2026, 4:00 p.m.
- Competition: Premier League (matchday 23)
At the same time, the injury-plagued defense – Dias, Gvardiol, and Stones out, Guehi just arrived – makes “Both teams to score: Yes” plausible. Wolf’s five games without defeat, accompanied by the transfer buzz around Strand Larsen and the Phillips rumors, is fueling optimism; overall, this points to over 3.5 goals.
Man City form & record check
The last two weeks have been tough for City. They lost 3-1 to Bodø/Glimt in the Champions League, followed by a 2-0 defeat at Manchester United, a derby in which possession rarely translated into real pressure. In the cup competitions, the reaction seemed more coherent, with a controlled 2-0 win at Newcastle in the League Cup semi-final and a merciless 10-1 win over Exeter in the FA Cup, before a 1-1 draw with Brighton in the league. The numbers provide an indication of why the whole thing feels a bit shaky. All five of their most recent games have seen over 1.5 goals, yet they have conceded in four of them, and the damage has often come after the break. Guardiola’s team are also playing faster and more direct this season, with more clearances and long balls, which can leave the back line vulnerable when attacks break down. The league table remains tight, with Arsenal seven points ahead and Aston Villa level on points with City, so every slip-up hurts. The defensive injury list remains long, with Gvardiol, Dias, and Stones all missing, so Guéhi’s arrival comes at just the right time. Rodri’s red card came in Europe, so he is eligible to play domestically, while Haaland’s recent dip in form adds to the uncertainty.
City are likely to start in their usual 4-3-3 formation, which shifts to a 3-2-5 when they have possession. Donnarumma is expected to start in goal, with Aït-Nouri pushing far forward on the left, while Lewis moves into the center and directs the build-up alongside Rodri. In front of them, Reijnders will provide the right passing angles, and up front, a trio of Doku, Foden, and Haaland is expected. At the back, this preview is clearly marked by absences, with Gvardiol, Dias, and Stones all missing, so Aké and Khusanov seem like the obvious center-back pairing, with O’Reilly helping out on the outside. Kovacic and Bobb are also unavailable, and Guéhi, Phillips, and Semenyo are not eligible to play in the Champions League. Up front, Haaland is still expected to start, even though there has been some talk recently about the risk of giving him a break. Marmoush would be an option.
Wolverhampton Form & Record Check
Wolverhampton comes to the Etihad with a bit of momentum, unbeaten in five games across all competitions, but the table continues to scream red alert. They are in 20th place with eight points, 14 points away from safety, and even Burnley above them is six points away, so draws alone are not enough. With no injuries reported, Edwards can stick with a well-rehearsed core that has finally started to gel. Sunday’s 0-0 draw with Newcastle had more to do with organization than ambition, with 34% possession and little danger, but it was controlled, especially at the back. Before that, there was a 6-1 win over Shrewsbury in the FA Cup, which gave Strand Larsen a visible boost. In the league, the 1-1 draws at Everton and Manchester United showed resilience, while the 3-0 win against West Ham was their most complete performance. What is striking about this run is how Wolves manage their games after the break. In the last five, they haven’t conceded a goal in the second half, and defeats are suddenly no longer an issue, but at the same time, the final stages are often tight, with less than 1.5 goals scored after the break in four of those games. They have scored in four out of five games, but too often rely on individual moments rather than sustained pressure. Edwards is getting more out of Sá, behind a back line that defends the penalty area with bite, and the energy of Arias and Mané makes the transition moments clearer. The January noise is a cause for concern, with interest in Hwang, Strand Larsen, and Agbadou, and any sale could deprive the squad of its few reliable passing options. Despite the noticeable increase in competitiveness, the Wolves need wins to keep their hopes alive.
Edwards is likely to stick with his familiar 3-5-2, with Sá probably behind a back three of Mosquera, Bueno, and Krejci. The whole thing reads as a deep block that becomes a back five against the ball, with Tchatchoua pushing high on the right and Hugo Bueno providing width on the left. This is just a projection, but it fits with recent patterns. In midfield, Gomes and André are the most likely playmakers, flanking the more attacking Mané on the left and right, while Arokodare and Hwang would form a duo up front, one to tie up the center backs, the other to make runs into the channels. No new injury concerns have been reported for Wolves, but several regulars are being linked with moves this month, including Hwang and Strand Larsen, so options from the bench remain an issue.
Man City – Wolverhampton Head-to-Head & Statistics
Manchester City have won four of the last five encounters, with Wolverhampton Wanderers claiming the other victory and no draws. City have won four in a row in this head-to-head, capped by a 4-0 win in August 2025 and a 1-0 win in May 2025. Most recently, the Wolves beat City 2-1 in 2023, which now seems like an outlier. The goal pattern is pretty clear. City has scored in all five games, i.e., five games in a row, and the total score in this section is 13-4 in their favor. Wolves have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of the five encounters. Interestingly, City conceded goals in three consecutive head-to-head matches in 2024, but then tightened up, with two consecutive clean sheet wins in May 2025 and August 2025. Most of these games were anything but tough. Four out of five ended with over 2.5 goals, and there was a series of three games with over 2.5 goals from 2023 to 2024, before May 2025 stopped the streak with a 1-0 win. It’s possible that Wolves can continue to score, but their margin for error has been minimal recently.
