Premier League: Wolves to the Slaughter?

Manchester City vs Wolverhampton Wanderers

Travelling from Istanbul to Manchester in three days wouldn’t be a problem for you or I.

But then we aren’t facing Besiktas in a white-hot atmosphere, before heading to the Etihad to take on Manchester City in the Premier League!

As SBOBET Premier League fans know, it is a tough, tough place to be, and last season Wolves coped admirably in their first season back at the top table, finishing seventh.

But the added pressure of Europa League football is having an impact. It won’t get much harder for Nuno Espirito Santo’s team than this week; from the moment they arrive at the Etihad, the stark reality will be painfully apparent.

The Manchester City vs Wolverhampton Wanderers betting odds pitch the Sky Blues at 1.13 to win, and recent form suggests that’s not far at all away from the mark. Following a setback against Norwich City, Pep Guardiola’s team has been utterly ruthless.

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Serie A

Talking Points

City playing catch up

Of course, there’s a very long way to go, but I don’t think Guardiola expected to be five points behind Liverpool in the Premier League table before September was over.

A shock defeat to the Canaries – the biggest surprise of all the Premier League 2019 results – is already done and dusted, and I doubt if we’ll see a bigger one this season. But since then, Manchester City have gone back to their steely determination to produce the best football in the league and, more importantly, win all their games.

The Sky Blues were at their clinical best to beat Everton 1-3 at a time when the Toffees are desperate for points and are a good team on home soil. But City withstood plenty of pressure at Goodison Park before striking at the heart of the Everton defence.

The champions have goals coming from all sources; Sergio Aguero already has eight while Raheem Sterling has six and Bernardo Silva has four. And the midfield of Kevin de Bruyne, Rodri and Ilkay Gundogan exudes toughness and guile in equal measures.

Liverpool have a difficult match against Leicester City this weekend and City will be ready to pounce on any slip-up.

Wolves’ Europa challenge

Wolves aren’t the first team to struggle with the Thursday/Sunday routine of the Europa League. Last season, Burnley were entrenched in the bottom three with 12 points from the first 19 games before recovering well from the exertions of European competition.

But Wolves have deeper pockets and a deeper squad than Burnley, so their fans expect them to cope better, but it hasn’t all been plain sailing.

They lost their Group K opener at home to Braga and this week Nuno’s team has a rather difficult trip to Besiktas to contend with. That is hardly ideal preparation for a match against, arguably, the best team in Europe on Sunday.

Wolves haven’t won a top-flight away match against Premier League champions since December 1979 — Matt Doherty scores a stunning goal against Watford as they claim their first victory this season

Victory over Watford last week was welcome indeed, but Wolves needed a Daryl Janmaat own goal to seal the points after Matt Doherty had put his side in front, the first time Wolves has lead in a league game this season.

But Nuno won’t be getting carried away. A victory at home over the bottom side is a must for any side hoping to stay in the top flight, let alone thrive.

Goalkeeper Rui Patricio and centre-back Conor Coady will need to be in top form to keep City’s front six at bay, and if they can then Joao Moutinho could be a key figure in midfield. He’ll be hoping Diogo Jota might be next to him, having not travelled to Turkey for the Europa League clash.

Either way, for a team which finished in the top seven last term to be at odds of 22.00 to win one game speaks volumes.

History

The head to heads give Wolves some cause for a little optimism; they have won eight to City’s 11 and there have been three draws over the last 20 meetings.

But the Sky Blues haven’t lost at home to Wolves in their last seven encounters, and recent form is more of a worry for the visitors.

Manchester City haven’t lost at home in their last 18 games. And while Wolves have just won their first game of the league season, Guardiola’s team has won the last five matches, scoring 19 goals and conceding one.

Betting Tip

	Manchester City vs Wolverhampton Wanderers	First Half Over 1.50 goals @ 2.05
	October 6, 21:00 (GMT+8)

If you aren’t tempted by 22.00 for Wolves to win; well how about the draw at 7.20?

Me neither! I just think any chance Wolves has of getting a result is made all the smaller by its fixture congestion.

Manchester City to win with a -2.50 goal handicap at 2.13 is a decent alternative bet, but I’m leaning towards a couple of goals in the first half.