Much like how the past week didn’t signal the end of Manchester City’s world, beating Wolves can’t be framed in any way other than the sort of snoozy victory Pep Guardiola must have craved.
Only winning would do after a run of four games without, which places some vague pressure on Arsenal when they face Manchester United to finish the weekend.
Portions of how City managed that will offer some encouragement, a creative box midfield and split strikers while Erling Haaland and Phil Foden sat on the bench. And portions of it indicated that more work is required, a familiar lull in performance immediately following the break and the general feeling that better opposition may have made this uncomfortable.
Guardiola will point to both Omar Marmoush and Antoine Semenyo crashing the woodwork after scoring their goals, and that City had enough in the locker to fully take this out of the grasp of Wolves.
City were in parts playing with that angular grace that became their identity for so long, the way Bernardo Silva orchestrated the six–pass move from a free kick near halfway typifying that. The second half of the sequence in particular, all about moving the ball at 45–degree angles and ending with Semenyo’s two–touch finish, also passing into the far corner seconds before half–time.
That was vintage City, a flash of the past. But as Haaland was given much of the afternoon off, it can’t have been a look into the future. There came a reminder of the quality around him in attacking areas, Marmoush’s movement in the seventh minute to meet a wicked Matheus Nunes cross – stealing a match on Yerson Mosquera – the sort of moment City supporters just haven’t seen from their top scorer in recent weeks.
Pep Guardiola wore a huge grin as Man City returned to winning ways against Wolves
Omar Marmoush met a cross to open the scoring for City after just six minutes on Saturday
Erling Haaland started the match on the bench and was brought on for the final 20 minutes
Marmoush hadn’t started a league game since August. ‘When Omar arrived last season he was unbelievable for two or three months,’ Guardiola said. ‘Without him it would have been impossible to qualify for the Champions League. He’s a special player and has a margin to improve.’
There are new faces that Hugo Viana hopes will enhance the club’s chances of remaining in contention for all trophies now but also in a post–Guardiola era, with Semenyo and Marc Guehi proving that striking now in January, paying the premium, should be looked upon as the correct course of action.
Semenyo’s constant threat on the right wing and a directness is offering a different dimension. Guehi, on debut, barely appeared flustered and one clip over the top for his fellow winter signing was the sort of ball that John Stones can loft with his eyes closed. Some of Guehi’s reading of situations, especially when bossing Hwang Hee–chan, moved City forward.
Yet recording an expected goals tally of 0.12 after Semenyo scored the second – Wolves engineering 0.55 in the same timeframe – indicates a drop off that has been fairly common throughout this season and further shows the hot and cold, inconsistent nature of a squad going through transition.
‘The energy was really good in the first half and then (Abdukodir) Khusanov made a foul and we struggled a little bit,’ Guardiola said. ‘The last 20–25 minutes were a bit flat but considering the amount of games it was a good result.’
When Guehi was leaping on Nico O’Reilly in stoppage time, the left back also mobbed by Silva and Gianluigi Donnarumma for blocking Mosquera’s late effort in a moment of camaraderie, it felt Rob Edwards’ side were close to causing real problems.
Despite an upturn, Wolves remain rooted on eight points yet became increasingly confident as the game wore on, buoyed by burgeoning teenager Mateus Mane. Mosquera headed against the bar from a corner, Donnarumma having previously provoked some nervousness when continuing to elect to punch basic crosses with varied success.
‘People will look at it as a routine victory for City and it looks like that with the score but I don’t think that, we were good,’ Edwards said.
City’s new boys Marc Guehi – who made his debut – and Antoine Semenyo both started the tie
Semenyo scored his third goal for City with a two-touch finish just seconds before half time
Wolves grew into the game in the second 45 but were not rewarded for their efforts with a goal
City argue that none of this ought to have mattered, or even been a talking point, after Farai Hallam denied them a penalty. Marmoush’s touch flicked Mosquera’s arm. Hallam waved it away, the guys in the VAR booth looked like they’d seen a ghost on reviewing replays and just chucked it back to a referee making his top–flight debut. He gazed at the monitor and decided to stick with the original decision. Which, as Edwards alluded to, showed courage.
Guardiola isn’t buying what the referees are selling, taking another pot shot at them – and PGMO chief Howard Webb.
‘The referee makes his debut and now everyone will know him,’ Guardiola said coldly.
