Manchester City continued their unbeaten streak with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Wolves on Sunday afternoon, thanks to John Stones’ late goal. The win keeps City neck and neck with Liverpool, who also secured a 2-1 win against Chelsea later in the day, at the top of the Premier League table. As they prepare for their Champions League clash with Sparta Prague on Wednesday, City will be eager to continue their strong form and push for a top-eight finish in the newly expanded tournament.
Persistence Pays Off
City’s persistence at set-pieces finally paid dividends as John Stones headed home the match-winner from their 18th corner of the game. City piled the pressure on Wolves with several corners in quick succession, and when the breakthrough came, manager Pep Guardiola celebrated wildly. The goal was a result of their hard work on set-pieces, a strategy orchestrated by their set-piece coach, Carlos Vicens.
Despite not matching their record-breaking season from a few years ago in terms of set-piece goals, City’s defensive record at set-pieces remains strong, with only Arsenal matching their numbers in both goals scored and conceded from dead-ball situations.
Rico Lewis’ Impressive Milestone
Rico Lewis reached a notable milestone during the Wolves match, becoming the first teenager to make 25 Premier League starts under Pep Guardiola. This is an impressive feat considering the wealth of young talent Guardiola has managed at City, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona.
At 19, Lewis now sits ahead of Kingsley Coman, Bojan Krkic, and former City defender Eric Garcia in Guardiola’s list of most-started teenage players. With his 20th birthday approaching in November, Lewis has a few more games to extend his lead, and given Guardiola’s stage in his career, this record might stand for a long time.
