BY OUR MAN AT THE ETIHAD
PEP GUARDIOLA proved he doesn’t always need his big Norwegian machine to get the job done as Manchester City’s new recruits tore through Wolves to get the champions back on track.
With Erling Haaland and Phil Foden sensationally dropped to the bench, the pressure was on City’s January signings to prove they belong in the sky blue. They didn’t just prove it—they owned it.
Egyptian ace Omar Marmoush and Ghanaian livewire Antoine Semenyo both bagged their first Premier League goals for the club, ending City’s miserable four-game winless run and closing the gap on leaders Arsenal to just four points.
It took just six minutes for the Etihad to erupt. Matheus Nunes, braving the vitriol and boos from his former Wolves fans, whipped in a cross of pure silk.
Marmoush, starting in place of Haaland, showed predatory instincts the big man would be proud of, darting across his marker to poke home.
City looked like the City of old—sharp, hungry, and relentless. Marmoush almost had a second ten minutes later, but the post came to the visitors’ rescue.
Wolves, anchored to the bottom of the table, tried to bite back, but City’s new £20m defensive rock Marc Guéhi was imperious on his debut. He marshalled the backline like he’d been there for years, even coming close to scoring with a thumping header.
The killer blow arrived just before the break. Bernardo Silva—the midfield maestro—threaded a needle-perfect pass to Semenyo.
The former Bournemouth man didn’t hesitate, curling a low, lethal strike past Jose Sa to make it 2-0.
It wouldn’t be a Premier League clash without a dash of VAR chaos.
Referee Farai Hallam, on his top-flight debut, was called to the monitor after Yerson Mosquera appeared to handle the ball in the box. In a rare move that drew cheers from the home crowd, Hallam stood his ground and stuck to his “no penalty” decision.
Wolves threw the kitchen sink at it late on, with Mosquera hitting the bar, but the damage was done.
Haaland eventually emerged from the bench for a late cameo, but the headlines belonged to the new boys.
CITY (4-3-3): Donnarumma 6, Nunes 8, Guéhi 8, Khusanov 7, Gvardiol 7, Rodri 8, Bernardo 8, Cherki 7 (Foden 75), Semenyo 9, Marmoush 8 (Haaland 75), Doku 7.
WOLVES (5-4-1): Sa 6, Tchatchoua 5, Mosquera 6, S Bueno 6, Krejci 5, H Bueno 6, Andre 6, J Gomes 7, Arias 6, Mane 7, Hwang 5.
