Wolves 2-1 Manchester City: 5 Talking Points as Hwang Hee-chan scores the winner in a clinical display | Premier League 2023-24
Manchester City suffered a 2-1 defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers (Wolves) in the Premier League on Saturday, September 30.
Wolves entered this contest on the back of a 3-2 upset against Ipswich Town that saw them eliminated from the Carabao Cup. Their previous league encounter was a spirited 1-1 draw against Luton Town despite being down to 10 men. Gary O'Neil fielded a strong lineup to face the defending champions.
The Cityzens, on the other hand, suffered their first defeat in their last game as they were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Newcastle United. However, Pep Guardiola was keen to maintain his side's perfect start to the league season as Matheus Nunes started against his former club.
Manchester City started the game well and kept the ball as they passed it around smoothly. However, an error cost them as Wolves pounced on a loose pass and Pedro Neto made a darting run from the halfway line and into the box. His attempted cross took a deflection off Ruben Dias and nestled into the net as the hosts grabbed a shock 1-0 lead after 13 minutes.
The goal lifted the crowd and Wolves looked to capitalize on that momentum as they maintained discipline and patiently waited for Manchester City to make a mistake.
The first half ended 1-0 in favor of the hosts.
City made a positive start to the second half as they pushed forward in numbers in search of an equalizer. They were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the box and Julian Alvarez stepped up to take it. He struck the ball sweetly into the top-left corner, leaving Jose Sa with no chance as the score was 1-1 after 58 minutes.
However, Wolves were no pushovers as they continued to press forward from wide areas in search of a goal. Hwang Hee-chan was alert in the box as chaotic defending from Manchester City saw the ball fall kindly to him for a simple tap-in.
The hosts showed great resilience and held onto their lead despite nearly seven minutes of stoppage time and secured a huge result.
On that note, let's take a look at the five talking points from the game.
#5. Wolves grabbed a shock early lead after Ruben Dias' own goal
Manchester City are known to dominate possession and start games strong by not letting their opponents get a sniff of the ball. However, they made a mistake in possession and it cost them a goal.
Despite it being ruled as an own goal by Ruben Dias, the credit for creating the chance must go to Pedro Neto. The winger made a lovely run down the right flank as he got past two defenders before cutting into Manchester City's 18-yard box.
Neto then tried to square the ball to his striker but Dias stuck a leg out and the ball was deflected into the net as Wolves fans behind the goal went into raptures.
#4. Manchester City were poor going forward in the first half
City dominated possession in the first half as they kept the ball for nearly 70% of the time. However, things did not go as expected as they conceded an own goal after 13 minutes and were unable to convert their own chances.
Jeremy Doku was the most active forward for the champions as he attempted five first-half shots but none of them was on target. Phil Foden and Mateo Kovacic saw one shot apiece blocked by a resolute Wolves defense as Manchester City struggled to muster attempts good enough to test Jose Sa in goal.
To make things worse, the visitors found themselves trailing at half-time despite the hosts not even registering a shot on target.
#3. Julian Alvarez equalized with a brilliant free-kick
Manchester City had their backs against the wall as the game progressed. While in search of a crucial equalizer, they were awarded a free-kick on the edge of Wolves' box, with Julian Alvarez and Phil Foden shaping up to take it.
The Argentine was the first option and he curled his shot into the top left corner, beyond the reach of Sa's outstretched arms.
#2. Hwang Hee-chan restored Wolves' lead
Nelson Semedo looked to take the initiative to drive forward in search of a go-ahead goal for Wolves after Manchester City had equalized. His cross took a deflection and was cleared poorly as it fell straight to Hwang Hee-chan.
His shot was deflected and fell straight to Matheus Cunha, who passed it back to the South Korean for a simple tap-in to make it 2-1. The fans in the stadium went wild as the hosts restored their advantage after showing determination and not giving up on a loose ball.
#1. Manchester City suffer first Premier League defeat of the season
Having won each of their first six games, Pep Guardiola's men were heavy favorites to win this game prior to kick-off. However, they couldn't live up to the expectations and put in a rather tame display where most of their forwards looked toothless in front of goal.
Despite having 68% possession throughout the game and attempting a whopping 23 shots, City managed to score just one goal, that too from a dead-ball situation. It was a managerial and tactical masterclass by O'Neil, who has been one of the best Premier League managers in 2023.
The win saw Wolves climb to 13th place in the table, while City will have Arsenal and Liverpool breathing down their necks after dropping poitns.