Man City vs Wolves Premier League preview, team news and prediction

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Manchester City will be determined to avoid a third straight defeat across all competitions when they host a revitalized Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Etihad Stadium in Saturday’s Premier League fixture. This match marks the first meeting between the sides since the opening weekend of the season, when City eased to a 4-0 win at Molineux.

Pep Guardiola’s revamped City squad ended 2025 in impressive form, stringing together eight consecutive victories in all competitions. However, the New Year has brought a rough patch, with just two wins from their first seven games of 2026 and back-to-back losses in their most recent outings.

A depleted City side—still boasting plenty of quality—suffered a disappointing 3-1 Champions League defeat to debutants Bodo/Glimt in Norway on Tuesday, putting their knockout stage hopes in jeopardy. In a gesture of goodwill, City’s leadership group, including Erling Haaland and Rodri, have raised around £10,000 to refund every traveling supporter who witnessed the loss, calling it “the least we can do” after such a poor display.

Just days earlier, City fell 2-0 to arch-rivals Manchester United in the Premier League, extending their winless run in the competition to four matches (three draws, one loss) and allowing Arsenal to open up a seven-point lead at the top with 16 games remaining. Guardiola has admitted that “everything is going wrong” for his “fragile” side at the moment, but there are reasons for optimism ahead of the Wolves clash: City have won 10 of their last 11 Premier League meetings with Wolves, netting 32 goals in those games.

Looking to avoid going five league matches without a win for the first time since late 2009 (when they drew seven straight under Mark Hughes), City are unbeaten in their last 30 top-flight games against teams starting the day at the bottom of the table (24 wins, six draws), including nine consecutive home wins by a combined score of 36-0.

Wolves, meanwhile, have shown signs of life in 2026 under Rob Edwards. Unbeaten in their last four Premier League matches (one win, three draws), Wolves have collected six points in this stretch—double what they managed in their previous 22 games (three draws, 19 losses). Their latest result was a goalless draw with Newcastle, following positive results against Everton (1-1), West Ham (3-0), and Manchester United (1-1).

Despite their improved form, Wolves remain anchored to the foot of the table, 14 points from safety with 16 matches left, including six of their next nine against teams currently in the top half. Scoring remains a major concern, as Wolves have managed just 16 Premier League goals all season—fewer than any other side—and have failed to score in more matches (11) than any other team.

Historically, Wolves have struggled against City, winning just five of their 23 Premier League encounters (two draws, 16 defeats). Their only victory at the Etihad came in October 2019, when Adama Traoré struck twice late on to seal a memorable 2-0 win.

Manchester City will be without several key players due to injury: Josko Gvardiol (tibial fracture), John Stones (thigh), Mateo Kovacic (ankle), Ruben Dias and Oscar Bobb (both hamstring), and Savinho (undisclosed issue) are all sidelined. Matheus Nunes (illness) and Nico Gonzalez (knock) will face late fitness tests ahead of kickoff.

Captain Bernardo Silva is available again after serving a suspension. New arrivals Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi are both in contention to start, with Guehi expected to make his full debut at centre-back alongside Abdukodir Khusanov, likely replacing Max Alleyne. If fit, Nunes could return to the starting lineup at right-back to face his former club, while on the left, Rayan Ait-Nouri—another ex-Wolves player—will compete with Nico O’Reilly for a starting spot.

Rodri is eligible to play despite his midweek red card, but Guardiola may opt to recall Gonzalez to the base of midfield if he is passed fit. Phil Foden is searching for form, having gone nine matches without a goal or assist, while Erling Haaland is enduring his longest goalless run in club football since 2017–18 with Molde, failing to score from open play in his last eight appearances. Nevertheless, both are expected to retain their places in the starting XI—Haaland, notably, has scored more Premier League goals against Wolves (10) than any other player. However, Rayan Cherki and Omar Marmoush could be considered as alternatives in attack.

For Wolves, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Toti Gomes (hamstring), and Leon Chiwome (knee) remain unavailable, while Tawanda Chirewa (illness) is a doubt. Fer Lopez is reportedly in talks over a loan move to Celta Vigo and may miss out as a result.

At the back, Yerson Mosquera, Santiago Bueno, and Ladislav Krejci—who scored at Old Trafford earlier this season—are set to continue as the defensive trio in front of goalkeeper Jose Sa, with Jackson Tchatchoua and Hugo Bueno providing width as wing-backs. Joao Gomes and Andre are expected to anchor the midfield, potentially linking up again with 18-year-old Mateus Mane, who leads Wolves for goals (2) and goal involvements (3) since December, and also ranks second for both shots (12) and touches in the opposition box (15) in that period.

Hwang Hee-chan should keep his place in attack, but manager Rob Edwards may consider recalling Jorgen Strand Larsen to the starting lineup at the expense of Tolu Arokodare, following five consecutive substitute appearances for the Norwegian striker in the league.

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