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2023/24 English Premier League
Matchday 36
Manchester City v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Etihad Stadium
Manchester, England
Saturday, 4 May 2024
Kick-off is at 17h30
Premier League title hopefuls Manchester City will be gunning for revenge when Wolves visit the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, May 4 in the late kick-off.
The Citizens saw their perfect start to the season halted by Wanderers, who ran out 2-1 victors in the reverse fixture at Molineux on September 30.
Pep Guardiola's side have only lost twice more since then and they're odds-on favourites to defend the title after going unbeaten in their last 19 matches.
City beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 at the City Ground on April 28 to stay within a point of league leaders Arsenal with a game in hand.
The Gunners claimed the bragging rights in North London following a 3-2 triumph over fierce rivals Tottenham at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 29, having seen Liverpool stumble after they were held to a 2-2 draw by West Ham at the London Stadium the previous day.
Wolves kept their top-10 hopes alive as they arrested a six-game winless run with a 2-1 victory over relegation-threatened Luton at Molineux on April 27.
Gary O'Neil's side find themselves two points behind Bournemouth (10th) in 11th place, although Brighton (12th) and Fulham (13th) are breathing down their necks two and three points further back respectively.
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In team news, Ederson (shoulder) is expected to miss out for the hosts, but Reuben Dias and Phil Foden (both illness) could recover in time to feature. The visitors will definitely be without Craig Dawson (groin), Leon Chiwone (ankle) and Pedro Neto (thigh), although Mario Lemina, Santiago Bueno (both thigh), Rayan Ait-Nouri and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde (both knee) could come back into contention.
Guardiola admitted the dry playing surface benefitted his players and felt their performance improved with the introduction of Mateo Kovacic at the start of the second half to help Bernardo Silva in midfield.
"[It was] really hard," the Spaniard said. "Last season we drew and played much better than today. Knowing the circumstances that we arrived here, we knew the game that was going to happen.
"We were so lucky that the pitch was so dry. With the chances they had, with better pitch conditions, they would have scored.
"We were incredibly fortunate for that. We suffered but when Mateo came on in the second half and Bernardo was involved in there, we were much, much better."
O'Neil was delighted to get back on the winning trail against the Hatters after being beaten 1-0 by Bournemouth three days earlier, but he reckoned Wolves should have won by a more comfortable scoreline in the end.
"We played well. It got a little bit nervy at the end and we should have been out of sight by then. We had some fantastic chances and didn't quite manage to put the game to bed," he said.
"With Luton's physical threat, they are always a danger from set plays and we end up having to survive a nervous few minutes. In terms of performance, it was much improved. Very good for a long spell.
"The scoreline probably doesn't do it justice. We had some fantastic opportunities from playing some really good stuff and cutting through them, but it was a really good performance and I'm pleased to bounce back from Wednesday."
Head-to-Head (Last Five Premier League Meetings)
Matches - 5
Man City wins - 4
Wolves wins - 1
Draws - 0
Premier League Matchday 36 fixtures:
Friday, May 3
21h00: Luton Town v Everton
Saturday, May 4
13h30: Arsenal v Bournemouth
16h00: Brentford v Fulham
16h00: Burnley v Newcastle United
16h00: Sheffield United v Nottingham Forest
18h30: Manchester City v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Sunday, May 5
15h00: Brighton & Hove Albion v Aston Villa
15h00: Chelsea v West Ham United
17h30: Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur
Monday, May 6
21h00: Crystal Palace v Manchester United
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