Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester City Prediction, Preview, Predicted Lineups, and Team News | Premier League

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester City Preview

Tournament: Premier League

Date: 16th August, 2025.

Kick-off Time: 4:30 P.M.

Venue: Molineux Stadium

On Matchday 1 of the Premier League, Wolverhampton Wanderers host Manchester City in Molineux Stadium on 16th August, 2025. This will be their 26th meeting against each other across all competitions.

The hosts have struggled as they had to endure three losses in their last six league matches against the mighty Sky Blues. However, they are optimistic about their opening match against the City as the jury is still out on how much the Sky Blues have recovered after losing their key player, Kevin De Bruyne. Wolves were second from bottom in the Premier League table when their current manager, Vitor Pereira, arrived at the club. Since then, the manager has worked tremendously well and changed the fortune of the club, earning a nomination for the Manager of the Season award.

Even though Wolves have brought in marquee reinforcements to strengthen the squad for the new season, there were many notable departures from the squad in the form of Matheus Cunha, Rayan Ait-Nouri, and others. Given the cards Vitor is dealing with, he would look to the likes of Fer Lopez and other talents to create chances while turning to Jorgen Strand Larsen to put in numbers from the front line this season.

The jury is still out on how Vitor Pereira will use the new signing, Jhon Arias, who moved into the club from Fluminense recently. But if things work as per the manager's plan from the beginning of the season, the Colombian might see a great deal of game time both as a starter and a substitute.

On the other hand, life at Manchester City has been tough for Pep Guardiola since the beginning of last season.

From losing his key player at the heart of his midfield to needing to make multiple changes to his system, both in terms of players and tactics, the Spaniard has had his hands full with multiple responsibilities. Even though the departure of Kevin De Bruyne left a hole in the squad, the comeback of Rodri into the team has handed Pep and the City fans a major boost. In the absence of Kevin De Bruyne, Pep would turn towards his veterans and new signings such as Reijnders, Cherki, and Ait-Nouri to take on the playmaking duties, while letting Erling Haaland convert all the quality chances created for him. The Norwegian has been a menace to the Premier League defenders since he arrived from the Bundesliga. Last season, he had 14 goals and four assists in the league, which is comparatively less when you look at his numbers since his arrival. The last time these two met at Molineux Stadium, Man City won the match with a 1-2 score against the Wolves. Would history repeat itself?

Wolverhampton Wanderers News

Before the beginning of the season, the worry among the fans regarding the squad is still looming. While Wolves could not do much but lose some of the marquee names in the squad from last season, their losing spree continued against Celta Vigo in their last pre-season friendly.

Gonzalez is still out of the squad with a knee injury. He is not supposed to return to the team until January 2026. Pereira Vitor will certainly make the starting lineup against Manchester City. The same can be said for Fer Lopez. On the other hand, Doherty and Agbadou should be the first-choice pairing at the back. Given that the hosts are looking for nothing less than the three points, Strand Larsen should be the man up front.

Manchester City News

Unlike Wolves, City have a bigger problem in terms of injury and players who are ruled out. Echeverri, Gvardiol, Kovacic, and Foden are all out due to injury. Moreover, Rodri's feature in the squad is still a question, as the last thing Pep would want is to have him injured again. Reijnders had a brace, and Erling Haaland scored once in City's last pre-season friendly. Both of them are expected to start the match against Wolves. Ex-Wolves player Ait-Nouri is also expected to start the game alongside Bernardo Silva. As far as the center backline goes, Stones and Dias' pairing is expected.

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester City Predicted Lineups

Wolverhampton Wanderers Predicted Lineup (5-4-1):

Goalkeeper: Sa

Defenders: Hoever, Doherty, Agbadou, Toti, Moller Wilfe

Midfielders: Andre, J. Gomez, F. Lopez, Muntesi

Forwards: Strand Larsen

Manchester City predicted Lineup (4-5-1):

Goalkeeper: Trafford

Defenders: Stones, Dias, Lewis, Ait-Nouri

Midfielders: Silva, Reijnders, Savinho, Cherki, Doku

Forwards: Haaland

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester City H2H Record

In their total 25 meetings, Wolves have only been victorious five times, while the Citizens got the best of their opponent 16 times.

Let us take a look at the records of their last 5 meetings:

Key Players to Watch in Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester City

Let us take a look at the key players to have your eyes on during the Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester City fixture.

Fer Lopez (Wolverhampton Wanderers)

Fer Lopez is one of the new arrivals in the club. Considering the number he has put on during his time at Celta Vigo and how quickly he is adapting to the system of Vitor Pereira, there is no doubt that he is the player in the Wolves team who can cause a lot of problems for the Man City backline. He maintained 1.44 xA and 2.75 xG last season. His ball progression and passing accuracy are two areas where he has been consistent with the numbers. If there is one player who can open up opportunities for Wolves during counterattacks and quick transitions, it is Fer Lopez.

Erling Haaland (Manchester City)

No matter how good a match you are having against City, the result of the game can change in the blink of an eye as long as Erling Haaland is still on the pitch. Ever since his arrival at the club, Erling has been the conversion machine for Pep's team. Having him up front gives the team a major boost, as most of their quality deliveries would be converted. The Norwegian is exceptional in both ground and air. There are hardly any defenders in the Premier League who can keep him quiet throughout the 90 minutes. Even in his supposedly ‘off-season,’ he had 39 direct goal contributions for the Citizens last season across all competitions. The number 9 has momentum on his side to get the best possible fresh start this season. If there is any player that Wolves need to have a close eye on, it is Erling Haaland.

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester City Prediction

Both teams had to go through notable changes in the team and their system of play. Only time will tell which of these two has dusted off last season's shortcomings. After the summer window, even though Wolves have lost many of the notable names from the squad, the arrivals at the club have offered Vitor Pereira much more fluidity. However, getting a win against Pep Guardiola's team, who are looking for redemption, would be a tale of courage and grit. While pulling out three points from the hat is not an impossible task, Pep will leave no room for error. He is expecting a comfortable win from this away fixture at Molineux.

Predicted Score: Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-2 Manchester City

Where to watch Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester City Live?

Let us take a look at where you can tune in to watch Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester City live: