In an intense, nail-biting Premier League competition, Manchester City secured a nail-biting victory against Wolves with a score of 2-1, with the decisive score coming from John Stones in the closing seconds of the five-minute stoppage time of the second half. The devastating blow plunged Wolves assistant coach, Shaun Derry, into despair and filled the supporters away from home with jubilation.
Gary O’Neil felt a deep sense of defeat, blaming the goal’s execution, particularly as Bernardo Silva obscured the view of Wolves goalkeeper, José Sá. This circumstance draws parallels to last season’s incident involving Max Kilman’s 99th-minute equaliser at West Ham that was dismissed as unjust due to Tawanda Chirewa reportedly obstructing Lukasz Fabianski’s view, a decision that left Wolves furious.
Jørgen Strand Larsen, the towering Norwegian forward, gave Manchester City quite a jolt as he marked the opening score. However, the latter managed to rebound with an elegant strike by Josko Gvardiol. Just as Wolves seemed to have secured a crucial point, a devastating defeat was in their stars. In the coming weekend, Wolves were to face seven out of the top eight in their first nine games.
Adopting the Wolves’ slogan, ‘Fear Nothing’, becomes a challenging venture, especially when battling a lack of confidence on the back of only one point from the initial seven matches, and facing the league champions. O’Neil admitted the longer the slump, the more difficult the climb, particularly in trying to shut out the strong City team. Mario Lemina, the captain, said that only those desperate enough to lie or cheat would blame their performance on their manager.
The bid by Wolves to secure their first clean sheet since February proved to be both physically and mentally draining. The try was overwhelming, with Toti Gomes ludicrously executing a headstand on the goal line after recklessly deflecting a powerful shot from Silva. Constant vigilance was displayed by Craig Dawson and Lemina for every ball. O’Neil was seen tapping his temples anxiously, as André guided the ball off the pitch for a Wolves goal-kick after enduring persistent pressure from City seeking to level the scores.
In the 33rd minute, an equaliser was scored by Jérémy Doku, who channeled the ball to Gvardiol, positioned 20 yards from the goal. City launched a full-force attack, every player in striking red crowded the outskirts of the Wolves box. Gvardiol manoeuvred the ball past him with his primary touch and sent a spectacular right-footed shot into the top corner of the goal past Sá’s touch.
Sá was firm in goal, replacing injured Sam Johnstone, pulling off a commendable performance by making timely saves. His early right-handed save kept Silva at bay and again in the first half injury time, silencing Savinho’s robust attempt. He’veered off Rúben Dias’s effort to his left in the second half. Despite a few unsettling attempts, City was unable to fully challenge and expose the host’s defence.
With just seven minutes remaining, Gonçalo Guedes decided to manage the game time. As Pep Guardiola aimed to ratchet up the pressure, Tommy Doyle, an ex-City midfielder, joined post half-time, followed by former team-mate Foden mid-way through the second half. Matheus Nunes, the former Wolves midfielder, was also brought into play, much to the discontent of the home spectators. – Guardian