The Football Faithful
·24 January 2026
Manchester City vs Wolves – Match preview and team news

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Yahoo sportsThe Football Faithful
·24 January 2026

Manchester City return to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon, desperate to arrest a rare midwinter slump as they host a rejuvenated Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Pep Guardiola’s side enter the fixture winless in four Premier League matches. They are also reeling from a demoralising 3–1 Champions League loss away to Bodø/Glimt on Tuesday. Currently trailing league leaders Arsenal by seven points, the side faces a difficult period. In contrast, Wolves arrive at the Etihad in their best form of the season. They are enjoying a five-match unbeaten run in all competitions. Rob Edwards’ side has picked up more points in 2026 than in the previous five months.
The headline for the hosts is the likely debut of England defender Marc Guéhi. He joined the club in a £20 million move from Crystal Palace on Monday. Guéhi should start in a backline missing John Stones, Ruben Dias, and Josko Gvardiol. Bernardo Silva returns from a European suspension. Matheus Nunes is a major doubt following a virus. Mateo Kovacic, Savinho, and Oscar Bobb remain sidelined.
Rob Edwards has confirmed his squad is in “good shape” for the trip. Jean-Ricner Bellegarde has returned to training but is likely to feature next week instead. Toti Gomes and Leon Chiwome remain out with their respective injuries. Tawanda Chirewa should be involved after recovering from a recent illness. Teenage sensation Mateus Mané is set to start again after becoming the club’s top scorer since December.
The hosts have uncharacteristically drawn their last two home league games. They haven’t drawn three consecutive matches at the Etihad since 2023. Notably, City are the only Premier League side yet to salvage a point when trailing this season. However, they remain dominant in this specific fixture. They have won 10 of their last 11 matches against Wolves.
Wolves have recently arrested their slide and moved off the foot of the form table. They have kept two clean sheets in their last three league outings. This follows a run of 23 matches without a shutout. Furthermore, they have rescued draws from losing positions in each of their last two away games. Despite this improvement, they remain bottom of the Premier League table.
Manchester City Predicted XI: Donnarumma; Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, O’Reilly; Rodri; Semenyo, Foden, Bernardo, Doku; Haaland
Wolves Predicted XI: Sa; Mosquera, S. Bueno, Krejci; Tchatchoua, Andre, Mane, J. Gomes, H. Bueno; Hwang, Strand Larsen
The match will not be broadcast live in the UK due to the 3:00 PM blackout. Fans can follow live audio commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live and TalkSport. Full highlights will be available on Match of the Day on BBC One at 22:30 GMT.








































