Hwang Hee-chan scored the game-winning goal in the second half to give Wolves an unexpected victory over the Premier League champions, Manchester City. This put an end to Manchester City’s perfect record in the Premier League.
Pep Guardiola, the manager of City, was banned from the touchline for one game and was therefore unable to intervene when his team did not take control of the game in the customary fashion and when free-scoring striker Erling Haaland was only given one chance to score. Guardiola was forced to watch from the stands because he was required to serve his ban.
Still, it appeared as though the away team was going to come out on top as Julian Alvarez equalized the score with a magnificent free kick that curled into the back of the net to cancel out Ruben Dias’ early own goal.
But just as Pedro Neto had gone on a right-wing raid prior to the opening goal, Nelson Semedo’s forward push sparked a second for Wolves, who halted a run of six consecutive defeats versus City. Wolves’ victory brought an end to their losing streak against City.
Matheus Nunes, a former midfielder for Wolves, had a terrible day all the way up to this point.
The home fans clearly have not forgotten that the Portugal international went on strike to secure his $53 million move to City last month, as they jeered him every time he touched the ball before he was substituted at half-time. The strike was done to seal the player’s transfer to City.
Nunes fails to deliver, and City falters.
Although most commentators believe it is a foregone conclusion that Manchester City will become the first team in the history of English football to win four consecutive league titles in a row, there are hints to provide reason for optimism among City’s competitors, who are currently in a position to challenge City for the title.
Following their loss to Newcastle in the EFL Cup this past week, City have now lost consecutive games for the first time since January. This marks the fourth time in their last five matches that they have trailed at any point during the game.
Even though he was in an unfamiliar position alongside the football director Txiki Begiristain, it was nevertheless a familiar sight to see Guardiola scratching his head in exasperation at a club that is having trouble finding the flow they have been so accustomed to readily providing.
Jack Grealish was sent on for the final ten minutes to try to ignite a late comeback after Phil Foden had already done his utmost to rouse the away team.
However, this was not to be as Nunes’ performance was an obvious disappointment as he struggled to establish himself on the competition and did not resurface for the second half, giving way to younger opponent Oscar Bobb who took his position.
During the previous season, nearly everyone working for the Wolves came to terms with the idea that Nunes will depart the team at some point in the not too distant future.
But after losing so much talent over the course of a trying summer, the 25-year-old player’s decision to hold out and refuse to show up for training in order to push his transfer to City left a foul taste in everyone’s mouth.
The home crowd’s reaction was one of pleasure as they chanted “what a waste of money” when it was announced that City would be making a substitution at halftime. As soon as the final whistle blew, the crowd began chanting, “Nunes, Nunes, what’s the score?”
A brief look back at O’Neil’s past
Gary O’Neil, the manager of the Wolves, became a member of an exclusive group when his team achieved this triumph.
Guardiola’s past record in the Premier League versus teams managed by Englishmen stands at 44 wins, one tie, and one defeat. That defeat came against Graham Potter’s Brighton in 2021.
O’Neil has reason to be proud of the fact that he did not achieve this achievement by relying primarily on a “backs-to-the-wall” defensive strategy.
There was some of that, and goalkeeper Jose Sa was in a good position to deal with attempts from Haaland and Alvarez, as he was aware that the goal that equalized the score went directly into the top corner. But Wolves played with composure and had a game plan, taking advantage of the gap behind City’s defense on the left side of the field, which was exploited first by Neto and then by Semedo with great success.
Neto’s burst of speed carried him all the way to the byline, and in his haste to prevent the Portugal star from crossing the ball, Dias stuck out a leg, which caused the ball to go flying into the goal.
Matheus Cunha had the presence of mind to pass the ball back to Hwang for the second attempt, despite the fact that Hwang’s first attempt had been blocked.
In the most recent game that Wolves played on this field, they were victorious for the first 48 minutes against Liverpool, but they ultimately lost the game.
They were in no mood to give their famous guests a second chance to get out of their misdeeds.
