Manchester City vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
English Premier League, KO: 14:00 Jan 22, 2023, Etihad Stadium
MANCHESTER CITY will be hoping their incredible midweek fightback sets the stage for the rest of the Premier League season as they bid to keep the pressure on leaders Arsenal with a win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Having slipped eight points adrift with a painful derby defeat, Pep Guardiola's men were staring at a third successive loss when they trailed 2-0 at home to Tottenham on Thursday.
Some fickle fans even booed the champions off at the break but the response was hugely impressive as City smashed home four goals to show they won't give up their crown without a fight.
I thought we'd see a lot of goals in that game and that's exactly how it turned out but Guardiola wasn't happy after the game and will be hoping his side can tighten things up at the back in the second half of the campaign.
Manchester City have conceded two or more in their last three matches and that will give Wolves a bit of hope as they head to the Etihad seeking three precious points.
The Molineux men have moved out of the drop zone since Julen Lopetegui's arrival as manager but still have plenty of work to do if they're to secure their Premier League status.
Our man Mark fancied Wolverhampton Wanderers to dump reeling Liverpool out of the FA Cup in midweek but they drew a blank in front of goal as Harvey Elliott secured victory for the Reds.
A lack of firepower has cost them all season and Wolves will need to be more clinical in front of goal to stand a chance of claiming a shock win at the Etihad.
How the bookies view it
Despite Manchester City's poor form of late, they are heavy favourites here at a best 3/14 with VBet. Wolverhampton Wanderers are as big as 15/1 at SBK while the draw pays 7/1 with Bet35.
Recent head to head
Wolves have caused City a few problems in the last few years and memorably won both Premier League games in season 2019/2020. But Guardiola's side have dominated since then, winning the last five meetings. City strolled to a 3-0 victory at Molineux when these sides faced off earlier in this campaign.
Players to watch
Riyad Mahrez was the inspiration behind Man City's comeback against Tottenham, scoring a double and helping to set up the other two goals. The Algerian winger is 19/10 for anytime scorer in this one and that looks a bit overpriced.
Daniel Podence always looks a threat for Wolves and the Portuguese playmaker is as big as 8/1 with SportingIndex for anytime scorer at the Etihad. That also seems over-generous given the way Guardiola's side have been defending.
Anything else catch the eye?
Something doesn't seem right in the Manchester City camp at the moment, with Guardiola claiming he didn't recognise his team in midweek as he criticised their lack of desire and passion. The champions are making basic errors at the back so BTTS stands a chance here at 5/4 with Unibet.
Both these teams play with a lot of width so corners are a decent option, with Bet365 offering evens on over 10 match corners.
I cashed in by backing Nathan Collins for a card when City won at Molineux back in September, with the Wolves stopper seeing red. He's 24/5 with Unibet for another card in this one and that seems decent value. The same firm also price him at 4/5 just to commit a foul.
Kevin De Bruyne should come back in for the champions after sitting it out in midweek. He's the king of assists and another here pays 6/5 at Unibet.
This English Premier League match between Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers will be played on Jan 22, 2023 and kick off at 14:00. Check below for our tipsters best Manchester City vs Wolverhampton Wanderers prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
