Last weekend footage of a Sheffield United supporter engrossed in a book at 7-0 down went viral and before kick-off here a fan was turning the pages of a title called Best New Horror. For Pep Guardiola, observing events from the directors’ box because of a one-match touchline ban, it was probably something close to that as Manchester City suffered a shock defeat at Wolves, their flawless start to defending their crown coming to an abrupt end. The only reading material Guardiola is likely to consume before switching his focus to Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Leipzig is his staff’s analysis of why things unravelled.
A couple of minutes before kick-off Guardiola took his position in the front row of the executive area, sandwiched between Manel Estiarte, City’s head of player support, and Txiki Begiristain, their director of football. It was there where Guardiola clenched both fists when Julián Álvarez pulled City level with a stunning free-kick, whipped into the top corner. José Sá, the Wolves goalkeeper, got his right hand to it but was powerless to prevent the ball spinning in. Wolves led inside 13 minutes via a Rúben Dias own goal and Guardiola looked on sternly when the hosts regained the lead midway through the second half through Hwang Hee-chan. Kyle Walker tried in vain to head the ball clear on the goalline.
A fortnight ago Wolves blew Liverpool away in the first half here before crumbling in the second and in their first game of the season, at Old Trafford, they departed empty-handed despite being the superior team. Even in midweek they caved, squandering a two-goal lead at Ipswich in the Carabao Cup.
So the question on the lips of supporters here at half-time, at which point they led 1-0, was: could they really hold on against the champions? When Álvarez sent a wicked free-kick into the top corner after João Gomes was penalised for bumping Oscar Bobb over 20 yards from goal, another capitulation – given City’s obvious might – seemed a distinct possibility. “It was a big blow, because it wasn’t like they cut us open,” said the Wolves manager, Gary O’Neil. “I think everybody in the country probably expected Man City to go on to win at that point.”
But Wolves, who invariably had to ride a couple of waves of sustained City pressure, including six minutes of second-half stoppage time, were stout in defence and smart in attack. Rayan Aït-Nouri enjoyed a fine game at left wing-back and Pedro Neto was again superb, his direct running the catalyst for the opener. Neto whizzed past Nathan Aké, one of two changes from City’s last league match, and Dias inadvertently diverted past Ederson. Matheus Cunha also worked tirelessly as a lone striker, screening City’s midfield pivot.
“We did some work on it on Thursday and after six minutes I could see his brain was starting to fry,” O’Neil said. “I was like: ‘Come on mate, we’ve done six minutes, we’re going to need 90 of this on Saturday.’ Man City test you mentally, if anyone switches off, they will find it. I tried to make sure they understood: ‘If it looks like a tactics board, we have a real chance of winning the game.’”
It was a Molineux return to forget for Matheus Nunes, signed by City for £53m at the end of last month. Nunes, whose every touch was heavily jeered by the home support, was replaced by Bobb at half-time. “Nunes, what’s the score,” came the riposte from the delighted Wolves fans at the final whistle. Gomes, in effect his replacement, and Mario Lemina racked up some mileage in midfield and who was confident Craig Dawson would totally subdue Erling Haaland? “Rodri makes that team tick a lot better,” O’Neil said afterwards and Guardiola would surely concur.
The City manager played down his pitch-side absence being a factor, given he was in dialogue with Carlos Vicens, one of his assistants, who fed instructions to another, Juanma Lillo. “The view is perfect,” the City manager said of the directors’ box. “I spoke to the team in the hotel, I spoke [to them] before the game, at half-time and after the game. During the game you can be involved in something but not ‘manager.’ The players know exactly what they have to do. What we should do we have done I don’t know how many times since we’ve been here. So many teams set up with a 5-4-1 or 5-3-2. They [City players] know exactly what to do. Wolves defended incredibly well.”
- Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play store on Android by searching for 'The Guardian'.
- If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you’re on the most recent version.
- In the Guardian app, tap the Menu button at the bottom right, then go to Settings (the gear icon), then Notifications.
- Turn on sport notifications.
City, who named only eight substitutes, including two goalkeepers, succumbed to their first league defeat since May, their second in the space of four days having lost to Newcastle in the Carabao Cup in midweek. Wolves’ winner was typical of the way they attacked this game. Nélson Semedo flew down the right flank and his cross struck Aké at the front post en route to Hwang, whose initial shot was blocked by a sprawling Dias. Cunha collected the leftovers and showed poise to calmly lay the ball on for Hwang to leather in at the second attempt.
