Haaland's Clinical Masterclass Exposes Wolves' Chasm

Moyen Score Futmetrix: 52/100. City's ruthless efficiency turned Molineux into a shooting gallery, but Wolves' passivity made it feel like a training session rather than a Premier League battle.

When Precision Meets Paralysis

Manchester City arrived at Molineux with a blueprint and the firepower to execute it. By the 37th minute, the match was effectively over. Erling Haaland opened the scoring in the 34th minute—a poacher's finish off R. Lewis's assist—before Tijjani Reijnders doubled the advantage just 180 seconds later. The Intensity was suffocating, but only in one direction.

Wolves offered glimpses of resistance—9 total shots, 3 on target—yet the Balance never wavered. City's dominance (58% possession, 91% pass accuracy) transformed the contest into a masterclass in controlled demolition. Haaland added his second in the 61st minute, assisted by Reijnders, and the Stakes shifted from "can Wolves survive this?" to "how many will City score?" By the 81st minute, substitute R. Cherki put the final nail in the coffin, converting City's fourth.

What made this particularly brutal for Wolves wasn't the scoreline—it was the manner. City attempted 24 shots to Wolves' 9, with a combined xG disparity that told the real story: 2.47 to 0.56. This wasn't a slip; it was a chasm. Rayan Aït-Nouri and City's defense were virtually untroubled, with Wolves' offside count (4) suggesting desperation rather than strategy.

The substitute factor proved decisive. Cherki's arrival in the 73rd minute yielded an immediate goal—a textbook super-sub performance that exemplified City's depth advantage. For Wolves, sitting 20th with zero points after 90 minutes, the relegation Stakes are now suffocating. This isn't a wobble; it's a statement of intent from City and a catastrophe for Gary O'Neil's side.