Wolves hold champions Man City with spirited display

If anything illustrated Wolverhampton Wanderers’ determination to fight fire with fire here, it was the sight of the sprinklers being brought out at half-time in order to give the Molineux pitch a good water.

How many clubs opt to do that against Manchester City given their predilection for a fast, slick surface? Plenty of opponents favour keeping the grass dry and letting it grow against City, any small advantage in a bid to disrupt the champions’ rhythm, but Wolves made it very clear that there would be no deviation from their own vibrant playing philosophy.

There are seasoned Premier League campaigners who have been spooked by a meeting with City but Nuno Espirito Santo’s newly promoted side showed not a glimpse of fear and their reward was a much deserved point from a highly entertaining game.

Sure, they enjoyed a few slices of good fortune, notably for their goal with Willy Boly’s handball going undetected and a couple of penalty appeals that City had waved away, and their goalkeeper Rui Patricio also had a day to remember. But while Pep Guardiola managed to keep a lid on any frustrations with the officials, even if he seemed to be simmering with indignation beneath the surface, the City manager will probably be the first to recognise what a good job Wolves did against his side.

From pressing high, with their wide players, Helder Costa and Diogo Jota, doing an excellent job of engaging City’s centre-halves, to the intelligence and vision of the superlative Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho in central midfield, Wolves ensured City were never going to have things all their own way.

The possession statistics again heavily favoured City but it did not always feel like that watching this game, which spoke volumes for the efficiency with which Wolves used the ball and the pace and precision with which they attacked. As Kyle Walker, the City defender, said: “It will be hard for teams coming here even if they might do so probably expecting to win.”

Sergio Aguero hit the woodwork twice for City, including clipping the top of the crossbar with a free-kick in stoppage time, but even when Guardiola sent on the cavalry in search of the win, with Gabriel Jesus, Leroy Sane and Riyad Mahrez all entering the fray, Wolves refused to panic.

Yes, Jesus should have scored with a header from close range from Benjamin Mendy’s cross only to be denied by another fine stop from Patricio but Wolves had chances of their own and, in the main, oozed cohesion.

“This game has to do with the base we created last season, especially at home,” Santos said. “We want to create a team and build something, an identity, that everyone at Wolves – the players, coaches, fans – share.”

It was a game that dazzled in quick-fire bursts. Vincent Kompany had as hard a time as any and it was his blunder, conceding possession to Moutinho, who kick-started the counter with a pinpoint first time pass into Jota, that almost presented Wolves with an opening goal. Jota swept the ball from the left across the six-yard box into Raul Jimenez but Wolves’s No 9 – who led the line superbly throughout – was ruled offside as he tapped home.

It speaks volumes for the threat City pose that moments later Wolves were fortunate not to be two goals down. First Aguero hit a post and then Patricio produced the first of his handful of excellent saves when he tipped a thundering 25-yard volley from Raheem Sterling on to the crossbar.

Costa was denied by a fine save from Ederson after the Wolves forward showed Aymeric Laporte a clean pair of heels but, from the resulting corner, the home team were in front. Moutinho’s short corner was rolled back to him by Neves and his cross was a beauty. Ryan Bennett missed his header but Boly stole in behind him to score. Initially, it looked like a fine diving header but replays showed the defender had actually scored with his arm.

“Last week [against Leicester] it happened against us so this is football,” Santos said. If Guardiola was furious, he managed to bite his lip, just as he was unwilling to discuss two strong penalty appeals his team had turned down for apparent trips by Neves and Moutinho on David Silva and Aguero respectively.

Guardiola was one of those in favour of the introduction of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in the Premier League this season – it was decided the system requires more trials before it is implemented – and what he witnessed here will only have cemented that view. “It is none of my business,” he said. “The Premier League will decide when they decide that VAR will be here. Pressed on referee Martin Atkinson’s failure to spot the handball and the penalty appeals, Guardiola said: “I’m not a referee, sorry, I never will be.”

If Santos had one complaint, it was his team’s reaction to going in front. City were allowed back upfield too easily and from a free-kick in a dangerous position, Laporte rose above Boly to head home Ilkay Gundogan’s inswinging ball. “If we had a ‘but’, after we score we should manage better these minutes,” Santos said. “We should have recovered some balls that we didn’t but it’s a growing process.” It is and Wolves are growing fast.
source: telegraph.co.uk

سقط فريق مانشستر سيتي، اليوم السبت، في فخ التعادل مع مضيفه وولفرهامبتون بهدف لكل منهما في الجولة الثالثة للدوري الإنجليزي لكرة القدم (البريمرليغ).

بهذا التعادل، ارتفع رصيد مانشستر سيتي إلى 7 نقاط في الصدارة، فيما ارتفع رصيد وولفرهامبتون إلى نقطتين في المركز الثاني عشر.

أضاع لاعبو الفريقين العديد من الفرص خلال شوط المباراة الأول، حيث توالت الفرص الضائعة من الجانبين لينتهي بالتعادل السلبي.

واستمر مسلسل إهدار الفرص خلال شوط المباراة الثاني إلى أن جاءت الدقيقة 57 ليبادر وولفرهامبتون بإحراز هدف التقدم عبر الإيفواري ويلي بولي.

بعدها كشر لاعبو مانشستر سيتي عن أنيابهم وبحثوا بشتى الطرق عن التعادل إلى أن جاءت الدقيقة 69 ليتمكن الفرنسي ايميريك لابورت من تسجيل التعادل.

وتوالت الفرص الضائعة من جانب لاعبي الفريقين في رحلة بحث عن هدف الفوز، ليكتفي كل فريق بالحصول على نقطة.