Manchester City 5-1 Wolves: Premier League – as it happened (2024)

That’ll do for today. Thanks for your company and emails – bye!

Erling Haaland speaks

It’s an important win, three points, and now we can focus on the next game. [After a long question about his goals record] Not bad, 25 goals this season. Thanks for that.

I’ve got a not-too-bad manager who pushes me. And look at the players around me. I’ve said it so many times before: without them, it would not be possible to score these goals.

I try to develop every single day. I have some problems here and there but let’s not focus on that, let’s focus on the positive things and looked ahead. We’ve got four finals left this season and we’re gonna go for it.

[On his second goal] It’s a beautiful goal. Yeah, I think my father’s gonna be happy with that one – he’s been telling me to try to head the ball at the highest point and that’s exactly what I did. I enjoyed that one.

[On the fourth] It was a beautiful goal, I have to say that. Great ball from Phil. I don’t know what more I can say.

[Has Pep been reminding the team about goal difference?] Yyynnnnah. First of all, it’s about winning the games. Of course we want the best possible goal difference, but let’s not think about that. Think about Fulham.

The title remains in Manchester City’s hands after a crushing win at the Etihad. Wolves were fed to the Beast: Erling Haaland, back in the XI after injury, was in chilling form and scored four times in the first 54 minutes. The substitute Julian Alvarez got the other, with Hwang briefly – and I mean briefly, because Haaland immediately blootered one in at the other end – giving Wolves hope by making it 3-1 early in the second half.

If City win their last three games against Fulham, Spurs and West Ham, they will become the first team to become champions of England for a fourth successive season. If they have their way, the title won’t be up for grabs for Arsenal – not now, not ever.

90+1 min Doku’s cross is miscontrolled by Nunes 10 yards out. It was an awkward ball to take and he should probably have hit it first time.

90 min There will be four hou- sorry, minutes of added time.

88 min Doku surges thrillingly past three defenders but scuffs his shot from the edge of the D. Jose Sa saves comfortably to his right.

87 min: Wolves substitution Tawanda Chirewa comes on for the goalscorer Hwang.

86 min City’s goal difference is now six behind Arsenal’s. They would have to score at least eight in their last two victories for there to be any chance of them winning the league on goal difference. Arsenal might win it on goal difference though.

That was a lovely finish from Alvarez. City won the ball high up, with Roden angling an early pass towards Alvarez. He took it on the run, away from the last defender, and passed it calmly across Jose Sa.

Okay, I shouldn’t have said the arrival of Julian Alvarez meant the end of the goalscoring.

84 min Haaland is effing and jeffing on the bench, though it’s not clear whether he’s annoyed at Guardiola or himself for not taking the other chances that came his way. Imagine scoring four goals in a Premier League game, two of them belters, and being furious.

82 min: City substitution As if to make the point that goal difference isn’t an issue, Pep Guardiola takes off Erling Haaland and brings on Julian Alvarez. Haaland isn’t thrilled with the decision.

Haaland was magnificent: he scored four and at one stage looked like he could get six or seven himself.

82 min The game is starting to peter out. City won’t say no to more goals but realistically they needed to win by six or seven tonight to have any chance of the goal difference ultimately going in their favour.

80 min: Triple substitution for City Matheus Nunes, once of Wolves, Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish replace Phil Foden, Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva. All were excellent, Foden in particular. He’s still only 23 you know.

79 min: Chance for Wolves Ait-Nouri’s promising cross from the left is missed by Sarabia at the far post. The bounce was awkward but it was still a good chance.

77 min Haaland’s looping header is comfortably saved by Jose Sa. Haaland must have had at least 72 attempts at goal tonight.

76 min: Wolves substitution Pablo Sarabia is on for Matheus Cunha.

75 min “Bueno for Bueno,” says Joe Pearson. “If that’s not a like for like substitution, I don’t know what is.”

I’LL SHOW YOU THE LIFE OF THE MIND A LIKE-FOR-LIKE SUBSTITUTION.

73 min The corner is half cleared to Rodri, who backflicks it square to Kovacic. He rakes a first-time drive from 15 yards that is well stopped by Sa.

73 min Slick football from City. Bernardo into the area for Rodri, who touches it back to Foden on the edge of the area. He belabours a first-time shot that is desperately blocked.

71 min: Wolves substitution Santiago Bueno for Hugo Bueno.

70 min Foden gallops down the left and drives a cross towards Haaland beyond the far post. He launches into a scissor kick but is thwarted by a slight headed touch from Toti that redirects the ball.

69 min: City substitution John Stones on, Nathan Ake off.

68 min The pace of the game has slowed a little, with Wolves starting to defend deeper. Gvardiol, who looks so confident in attack these days, hammers a terrific ball right across the face of goal.

67 min “Hi Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “As you’d expect, the Klopp era in some ways reminds me of the Jim McLean years at Tannadice, in the sense that it was as much about the trophies that weren’t won as those that were. One league title, a couple of cups, and of course for Klopp the big prize of Champions League finals, and a win, (although United did come close a couple of times in Europe) seems scant reward for the effort of the players and management over a prolonged period. For Guardiola at Man City, read Ferguson at Aberdeen. It might not be much consolation to Liverpool fans right now, but I for one wouldn’t have had it any other way.”

Ferguson wasn’t that dominant in Scotland was he? I thought Celtic stopped you winning some trophies as well, although my memory’s not what it was, and I was a bairn at the time.

65 min Now Joao Gomes is booked for a lunge at Ake, who accepts his apology.

64 min Toti makes an important interception to stop Foden putting Haaland through on goal again. Moments later Traore is booked for a cynical foul on a rampaging De Bruyne.

This, as Jamie Carragher says on Sky, is a basketball game. Arsenal fans must hate Gary O’Neil right now.

61 min The corner is half cleared to Gvardiol, who shoots over from 20 yards. A decent effort.

60 min: Fine save by Sa! Wolves are really having a go, which is leaving huge gaps at the other end. Gvardiol runs infield and angles a pass to Haaland, who takes it beautifully in his stride and whacks a rising drive that is pushed over by Sa. A very good reaction save.

“Don’t worry, there are more goals coming for you,” says Jamie Carragher on Sky when the camera lingers on a disappointed Haaland.

58 min De Bruyne has a moan at the referee after being fouled by Toti. City look hungry for more, and Haaland almost gets his f-i-f-t-h with a shot from the edge of the area that deflects over the bar.

At times this season Haaland has been a bit subdued. This evening he looks voracious, frighteningly so.

Four goals for Erling Haaland! Ederson fires a pass through the lines to Foden, who turns and pings a crossfield pass to leave Haaland one v one with Kilman in the inside-right channel. He cuts inside Kilman, on the edge of the area, and leathers a curler into the far corner. Great goal.

City were unable to play out and Wolves regained possession. Semedo found Bellegarde, whose excellent first-time cross tempted Ederson from his line. He could only get fingertips on the ball and Hwang made an awkward finish look easy. The ball bounced just in front of him but he controlled it perfectly.

Wolves are pressing much higher in the second half, a brave approach when you’re already 3-0 down. But it has led to a goal!

50 min Rodri’s low cross is slightly behind Foden, who does well to screw a shot towards goal from 15 yards. Jose Sa gets down to his right to push it away.

49 min No great urgency from City at the second half, though that’s never been how they score their goals. Desperation is for blue-collar teams.

46 min City begin the second half goalhunt. Wolves have brought on Jeanricner Bellegarde for Mario Lemina.

“Just to back up your memory, I’m sure that Palace v Liverpool game was also affected by goal difference, in that there was a valid reason for Liverpool to go all out for a five or six goal win rather than playing sensibly,” says David Hopkins. “All forgotten amidst the ‘narrative’ of course.”

Yes that’s right, though I think they needed to win by seven or eight (away to a decent, defensively excellent Palace side) for it to be significant.

Ah, here we go: this was the league table going into that Palace/Liverpool game.

1. City P36 Pts 80 GD+59

2. Liverpool P36 Pts 80 GD+50

3. Chelsea P36 Pts 79 GD+43

Half-time reading

“From the perspective of a supporter of the chasing team, what’s most annoying about the last couple of matches is that City have played on autopilot,” writes Kári Tulinius. “They might as well be sleepwalking towards the title, and Wolves are yet another team that hasn’t woken City up.”

Tottenham’s the game. Emerson Royal is going to win the title for Arsenal.

Erling Haaland’s hat-trick has ensured a stress-free second half for Manchester City. He opened the scoring from a debatable penalty, headed a majestic second and added another penalty – this one clear as day – on the stroke of half-time.

Now, about that goal difference.

45+7 min Gvardiol almost makes it 4-0. De Bruyne’s corner led to a scramble in the six-yard box but Gvardiol, off balance, couldn’t force the ball past Jose Sa from close range.

Erling Haaland completes a first half hat-trick! He went the same side as the first penalty, to his left; Sa got a touch but the power of the kick beat him.

Haaland has scored back-to-back hat-tricks at home to Wolves.

45+1 min No argument with that one – Semedo clearly fouled Haaland as he was about to shoot. He was trying to get the ball, which means he is booked rather than sent off.

44 min: VAR check for a City penalty Haaland bulldozes clear, on a hat-trick, and goes down ater a clumsy tackle from behind by Semedo. I think this will be given by VAR. Semedo knocked Haaland’s standing foot, which meant Haaland fresh-aired his intended shot.

42 min “While Foden deservedly gets praise for his play this season, it strikes me that the player that has grown most in this squad is Gvardiol,” writes Joe Pearson. “He’s been immense lately. City always get the best toys ... er, boys.”

Is that an improbable Marion reference?

41 min Lemina is booked for crumping Foden.

40 min “As someone who’s still scarred by events one Monday evening ten years ago,” writes Matt Dony, “I certainly hope City do recklessly pour forward looking to increase their goal difference. I mean, a wild Wolves comeback is enormously unlikely, and ‘reckless’ is hardly a word you could apply to Pep (apart from semi-final team sheet tinkering), but my word it would be entertaining.”

Isn’t the significance of that Crystal Palace game overplayed? I know a Liverpool win would have put some pressure on City, but they were always likely to win their last two games. iverpool v Chelsea (and then Everton v City) were the games that decided the title. Or have I misremembered the whole thing?

37 min That goal summed up the peerlessness of Rodri. His reading of play and athleticism allowed him to win the ball high up the field, and he also had the quality to flip the ball onto Haaland’s head. I can’t think of many better No6s, ever.

What a fine goal from Manchester City. Rodri nicked the ball in midfield yet again and found De Bruyne. He gave it back to Rodri, who floated a cross beyond the far post. Haaland towered frighteningly over Semedo and planted a precise header back across Jose Sa.

And it’s goodnight from Wolves.