Wolverhampton vs Manchester City Predictions

• Manchester City have won eight of their nine opening Premier League fixtures under Pep Guardiola
• City have won 16 of their last 23 meetings with Wolves
• Wolves lost all five home games against last season’s top five

Champions look to continue dominance at Molineux

Manchester City’s quest to reclaim their Premier League perch opens with a trip to Molineux to face a Wolves side in transition on Saturday. Pep Guardiola’s side are also in a bit of flux after the City boss demanded reinforcements and began dismantling the squad that won four titles in a row.

Jack Grealish is the latest big-name casualty of Guardiola’s pruning, although the England winger had looked to be yesterday’s man for most of last season. Ederson looks set to be the next in the firing line with James Trafford brought back to offer stiff competition for the number one shirt.

The former champions usually kick off the campaign with three points and there is very little reason to suspect they will trip up at Molineux. City signed Wolves’ best player, Rayan Ait-Nouri, almost as soon as the curtain fell on a campaign that saw Wolves trail home in 16th place.

Positivity about Pereira 

There remains plenty of positivity about head coach Vitor Pereira, who dragged Wolves out of the relegation zone by securing 32 points from his first 18 games in charge. But they finished the season on a run of one draw and three defeats.

City have overwhelmingly dominated this fixture historically, winning 16 of the last 23 encounters, while Wolves have managed just four wins with three stalemates. A draw might be the best they can hope for against a retooled and refreshed City side.

Wolves will need to be alert and organised from the whistle to counter City’s attacking threat, which will sgain be focused on finding Erling Haaland. The Norwegian scored in three of their four Club World Cup matches in the United States this summer and also bagged in their final warm-up match against Palermo.

City can keep it clean at the back again

Wolves struggled to impose themselves against any of the top teams when they played host last season, taking no points from their five Molineux matches against the eventual top-five.

Manchester City’s clinical finishing and strong away form make them favorites to secure another victory on the road. Wolves, energized by home support, may challenge but face a tough task breaking down the champions. Expect City to score early, control the game, and likely take three points from Molineux.

Four of those games were not on Pereira’s watch, but it still looks like a huge gap for the Portuguese coach to bridge in a short time in charge. City won three of their last six Premier League away trips last season and kept clean sheets in five so perhaps a win to nil for the visitors may be the best value option on Saturday.