After a brief pause for the international break, the Wolves squad are gearing up to face Manchester City in a highly anticipated Premier League clash.
Nine Wolves players were away on international duty, giving head coach Gary O’Neil some breathing room during what has been a challenging start to the season. Wolves currently sit at the bottom of the table with just one point after losing six of their first seven matches. Despite the rocky start, the club’s leadership remains firmly behind O’Neil, optimistic that he can pull off something remarkable this weekend.
Paul Merson’s Prediction for Wolves vs. Manchester City
The last time Manchester City visited Molineux, Wolves stunned the reigning champions with a 2-1 victory, thanks to a Ruben Dias own goal and a strike from Hwang Hee-chan. It was a tactical triumph for O’Neil, who first experimented with a back-three formation in that game, successfully stifling City’s attacking trio of Phil Foden, Jeremy Doku, and Erling Haaland.
However, for history to repeat itself, Wolves will need to shore up a defense that has already conceded 21 goals in just seven games this season. With Manchester City firing on all cylinders and still unbeaten, stopping them seems a monumental task.
Unsurprisingly, pundit Paul Merson predicts a 2-0 victory for the visitors. While he expects Wolves to tighten up defensively, he believes it won’t be enough to stop Pep Guardiola’s side. “The worry for Wolves is that they are getting beaten comfortably by big margins,” Merson noted in his Sportskeeda column. “Gary O’Neil needs to focus on tightening the defense first before trying to play his brand of football. Wolves score, but they just can’t keep it tight at the back.”
Merson added: “I doubt Wolves can keep City out for long. I feel Wolves will be more compact than they’ve been in recent games, but Guardiola’s men will find a way through, like they always do.”
A Defining Match, But Not Season-Ending
While beating Manchester City would be a huge upset, a loss doesn’t spell the end for Wolves. After their tough test against the champions, Wolves will face a string of more manageable fixtures, including home games against Crystal Palace and Southampton—both of whom sit just above Wolves in the table.
Although the Wanderers’ poor form can partially be blamed on the strength of their opponents so far, O’Neil won’t have the same justification in the upcoming weeks. The next 10 matches are crucial. Failing to pick up wins could see Wolves stuck at the bottom of the table by Christmas, and history shows that escaping relegation from such a position is exceedingly difficult.
O’Neil has the opportunity to change the narrative, and Wolves fans will be hoping it begins with a strong performance against City this Sunday.
