PL: Gabriel Jesus Brace Gives City Comfortable Victory Against Wolves [REPORT]
Manchester City have defeated Wolves 4-1 at Etihad on Tuesday night in English Premier League (EPL) clash but were not without a scare after Wolves had drawn level through Conor Coady.
City have now made their 21 wins in a row, edging past Nuno Espirito Santo’s Wolves’ record in the Premier League.
Man City are now 15 points clear at the top of Premier League table with Manchester United coming up over the weekend.
Last season, Wolves did the double over City and defended well against the Blues just as City’s manager, Pep Guardiola predicted they would. Guardiola made six changes to his side from the West Ham win, bringing back the likes of Aymeric Laporte, Joao Cancelo, Rodri and Raheem Sterling.
The striking thing about Manchester City’s team is that every few weeks another player seems to be spurred on to new heights.
For a while, it was Ilkay Gundogan shining and, before him was Kevin De Bruyne. Then Phil Foden took over. Thereafter, Raheem Sterling hit the goal trail again and Bernardo Silva’s renaissance gathered pace.
On Tuesday night, it was the turn of Riyad Mahrez and Gabriel Jesus to step up to the spotlight even as Nuno Espirito Santos’ Wolves threatned to steal a point at Etihad.
During the match, City’s Rodri swept a stunning pass in behind Jonny and Mahrez timed his run perfectly as he took a deft first touch and then drilled over a cross that Leander Dendoncker, rushing back to try to thwart Sterling, turned into his own net from close range, giving The Citizens (Manchester City) the lead.
Wolves equalised firmly against the run of play when Rodri, so serene in the first half but suddenly sluggish in second half, committed a foul which resulted into a free-kick Wolves’ Conor Coady stole between Ruben Dias and Rodri to head home. It was their first touch in City’s penalty area.
Wolves players celebrating Coady’s equaliser.
Conor Coady (M) and Wolves’ teammates celebrating their equalizer.
Following this, Man City fought their way back into the lead and Jesus was the man latching onto a loose ball inside the penalty area and smashing City’s second home.
Mahrez got in on the act late on, finishing low past Wolves’ Patricio. Then Jesus added a fourth goal by pouncing on Patricio’s save from teammate, Gundogan.
Speaking after the match, Mancheater City boss, Pep Guardiola, said:
Well deserved, fantastic game, we suffered after we concede the goal, so difficult to play against them, they concede few and have pace upfront. We were fantastic, we controlled, after 1-1 we suffered five minutes but we overcome that situation and created loads of chances.
The second half we started really well, we create more chances in 5-10-15 mins. After that we try to attack too quick. Sometimes we want to do the movements too quick. Against this team when you open the game, nothing to do. Happened for 5, 10 minutes but the rest good.
He added that his focus is on the weekend’s Derby against Manchester United, stressing;
Man United. This is the only care. The records we will see when it is all over. Man United.
The champions is Liverpool. The crown belongs to them. We are in the best position now to take it out and we are going to try but they are the champions. We want to win it and defend it all season. 33 points to play, 15 clear. Now rest, especially mentally, we don’t have much time, and prepare for United at home.