John Stones’ dramatic late header, upheld after a tense VAR review, secured a 2-1 victory for Manchester City against Wolves.
City were on the verge of missing a golden opportunity to capitalize on Arsenal’s earlier slip at Bournemouth, with Wolves holding firm after Jorgen Strand Larsen’s early goal was canceled out by Josko Gvardiol. But in the fourth minute of stoppage time, Stones soared above the Wolves defense to head in a Phil Foden corner, igniting wild celebrations.
However, those celebrations were briefly muted when Bernardo Silva was flagged for offside, as he appeared to obstruct Wolves’ goalkeeper José Sá. The Molineux crowd erupted in joy, but after reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor, referee Chris Kavanagh determined Silva was not interfering with play, allowing the goal to stand.
City, who had been far from their best, escaped with all three points, extending their lead over Arsenal to three points. For Wolves, the late goal was a crushing blow after a strong performance that left them with only one point from their first eight matches.
Wolves manager Gary O’Neil had emphasized the context behind their slow start to the season, but he also acknowledged the urgent need for results. Wolves made a dream start by going ahead in just the seventh minute. After bypassing City’s press, Nelson Semedo delivered a perfect cross, which Strand Larsen slid into the net at the far post.
Despite the early goal, O’Neil remained composed on the sidelines, perhaps knowing the challenge City would pose as the game wore on. City nearly equalized immediately, but Bernardo Silva’s curling effort was denied by a brilliant save from Sá.
City pressed forward, leaving themselves vulnerable at the back, and Wolves had a chance to extend their lead on a fast counter-attack in the 19th minute. Semedo broke free but took a heavy touch, allowing Ederson to rush out and block his attempt.
That missed chance proved costly, as City equalized in the 33rd minute. Gvardiol struck a dipping shot from the edge of the box that found the top corner, leveling the score.
Wolves could have gone into halftime ahead, but Sá made another fantastic save to deny Savinho. Sá, starting in place of the injured Sam Johnstone, continued his fine form in the second half by stopping a powerful effort from Ruben Dias.
Despite dominating possession, City struggled to break down Wolves’ resilient defense. The introductions of Foden and Jack Grealish did little to create clear-cut chances.
The match appeared to be heading for a draw until Stones’ late heroics from a corner deep into stoppage time. After a brief delay for the VAR review, the goal was confirmed, sealing a hard-fought win for City.
