The Breakdown | Wolves vs Man City

#1 Inside both camps

Gary O’Neil reported no fresh injury concerns following the midweek trip to Ipswich Town but is low on numbers in the midfield department for the visit of City. That’s because Tommy Doyle is ineligible to face his parent club and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde sits out the second of his three-match suspension. Boubacar Traore impressed in the midfield at Portman Road, while Pablo Sarabia can play in a central role. Elsewhere at Ipswich, Toti scored and Sasa Kalajdzic provided an assist, so both have asked questions ahead of O’Neil’s final decision. Matt Doherty has also seen his minutes increase over the past week and is an option to the head coach.

Pep Guardiola will make the trip to the West Midlands without the influential Rodri who, like Bellegarde, is amidst a three-match ban. John Stones is unlikely to feature due to a muscular injury, likewise Bernardo Silva, who has been absent for the past fortnight. Kevin De Bruyne is certainly missing with a thigh injury which he picked up on the opening day. City have welcomed Jack Grealish back into the fold over the past week, so he comes into contention to start, likewise Kalvin Phillips due to Rodri’s suspension. Matheus Nunes could make his first return to Molineux after the move to City recently.

#2 Coming into it

Wolves come into the clash on the back of a busy week. After a battling point at Luton Town, which saw Pedro Neto score for the first time this season, the Old Gold were beaten at Ipswich Town in the Carabao Cup. In the Premier League, O’Neil’s side have taken four points from six matches, following the win at Everton in August, and the head coach will call for a big performance to add points against City.

Wolves’ last three | D 1-1 Luton Town (A) – L 3-1 Liverpool (H) – L 3-2 Crystal Palace (A)

Although they were beaten at Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, City couldn’t have enjoyed a better start in the Premier League. Pep Guardiola’s side have six wins from six to their name, scoring 16 goals in the process, and have won on the road at Burnley, Sheffield United and West Ham United.

City’s last three | W 2-0 Nottingham Forest (H) – W 3-1 West Ham United (A) – W 5-1 Fulham (H)

An incredible goal and even better celebrations.

👏 @pedrolneto7 pic.twitter.com/Uw8wcj5ydr

— Wolves (@Wolves) September 23, 2023

#3 Since last time

Wolves and City last met at the Etihad back in January, when Erling Haaland’s hat-trick comfortably saw off the visitors. That day, Wolves had four members of the starting eleven who are no longer at the club. Nathan Collins started at centre back, while captain at the time Ruben Neves sat in the midfield, on the afternoon he conceded a penalty. Hee Chan Hwang formed a front three alongside Adama Traore and Raul Jimenez, who both now represent Fulham. Daniel Podence and Joao Moutinho came off the bench in Manchester and are no longer at the club either. The defeat left Wolves out of the drop zone on goal difference alone.

Wolves | Sa, Semedo, Collins, Kilman, H Bueno, Lemina, Neves, Nunes, Adama, Hwang, Jimenez.

City have lost three experienced members of the January starting eleven. Aymeric Laporte, Riyad Mahrez and Ilkay Gundogan all helped City to three points that day, but moved on to pastures new over the summer. Cole Palmer replaced Mahrez with nine minutes remaining and is now on Chelsea’s books. Haaland’s header five minutes before the break broke the Wolves resistance and his penalty five minutes after the interval effectively sealed the win, even before his hat-trick strike soon after. City were five points behind Arsenal at that stage but went on to lift the title.

City | Ederson, Stones, Akanji, Laporte, Lewis, Rodri, Mahrez, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Grealish, Haaland.

#4 In the media

After his solo strike at Luton last weekend, Neto was singled out for praise by BBC Sport journalist Simon Stone last weekend and will hope for another goal contribution against City.

Stone said: “It is hard to believe it is May 2022 since Pedro Neto last scored. The Portugal wide man showed in the speed, strength and accuracy he brought to Wolves' goal at Kenilworth Road that he is capable of being a major threat. In a season that is inevitably going to be difficult given the financial constraints the hierarchy at Molineux are working under, they need someone of Neto's calibre to step up. Evidently, it is not a one-man show but the touch of class, applied often enough, could be the difference between Wolves keeping clear of trouble of getting embroiled in an extended relegation scrap this season.”

Former defender and BBC Sport pundit Martin Keown compared City striker Julian Alvarez to his former Arsenal team mate Dennis Bergkamp this week, and the youngster will be expected to feature at Molineux this weekend.

Keown said: “He reminds me of Bergkamp because he starts as a striker and he just sort of wanders into that [midfield] position, and you're wondering who is going to pick him up. They haven't missed De Bruyne, which is massive credit to him. It's his intelligence of movement really, when he wanders into that little spot [in the midfield]. He's always looking for that little space, he's always available, and they'll always find him. He's always on the half-turn, ready just to go forward and look for the big man up top. He stretches the backline. He will drift out wide, as De Bruyne does occasionally, which draws in the full-back and opens up the space for other players to run into. He's a wonderful purchase, a great talent, and a World Cup winner. He's got everything ahead of him.”