Manchester City vs Wolves LIVE: Premier League result and reaction after Erling Haaland scores four
Man City 5-1 Wolves: Haaland’s quadruple helped City hold serve in the title race in style
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Erling Haaland scored four goals - including a first-half hat-trick - as champions Manchester City crushed Wolves 5-1 to retain control of the Premier League title race.
Pep Guardiola’s side needed to respond to leaders Arsenal’s victory over Bournemouth earlier on Saturday and they did so emphatically, with a clinical take-down of their hapless visitors at the Etihad Stadium.
Haaland struck twice from the penalty spot in the first half, either side of a towering header, before adding a fourth with a stunning strike. Substitute Julian Alvarez also got on the scoresheet, while Wolves’ consolation came from Hwang Hee-chan.
The victory lifted City, chasing an unprecedented fourth successive league crown, back within a point of the Gunners with a game in hand. Haaland’s outstanding display took his tally for the campaign to 36 in all competitions and lifted him to 25 - five clear of his nearest challengers - in the race for the Premier League’s Golden Boot. His hat-trick was also his ninth in City colours.
Relive all the action below:
Erling Haaland shows Man City’s transformation from the recent past
After a glimpse of Manchester City’s stylish past came an illustration of their powerful present. David Silva was on the pitch at the Etihad Stadium before kick-off, his first return since his 2021 departure allowing the City faithful to pay tribute to an old favourite. Erling Haaland took the field after that, scored four goals in under an hour and left City only requiring three more wins to clinch a record fourth consecutive title.
Silva captained them to the first but if he was upstaged on his return, that is probably how a self-effacing figure prefers it. If there has been a shift in City’s identity, from the small Spanish passer to the giant Norwegian scorer, the midfielder may be far more emblematic of Pep Guardiola’s natural philosophy than the striker. But goals have an eloquence of their own and on days like this, when Haaland is marauding and magnificent, there is a pragmatic logic to recalibrating the side around him.
Erling Haaland shows Man City’s transformation from the recent past
Man City 5-1 Wolves: Haaland’s four goals demonstrated how City have adapted since the days of the returning David Silva as they held serve in the Premier League title race
Premier League title race: Who has the best fixtures – Man City, Arsenal or Liverpool?
With that result, City are once again one point behind Arsenal with one game in hand.
The title remains in City’s hands despite Arsenal’s great performances. Win all of their games, and they will be champions for the fourth season in a row.
Below is a rundown of both team’s fixtures for the remainder of the season.
Premier League title race: Who has the best fixtures in the run-in?
Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool all have tricky tests to pass as the Premier League title race enter its final weeks, but who has the best run-in?
FT: Manchester City 5-1 Wolves
Guardiola is next to speak to Sky. He says that Haaland was angry with refereeing decisions, rather than his decision to bring the Norwegian off.
“With the long balls sometimes they push him and he is pulled,” he adds.
“It looks comfortable but it was not. In the end we created more chances but in the transition we were not precise in the last pass. But Erling is back to business. Penalties are a guarantee but the second and fourth were unbelievable.
“They are a really, really good team but we made calls in the right moment, especially with the fourth because at 3-1 anything can happen.
“Goal difference is not possible, we cannot draw. The way Arsenal have been playing has been so good and consistent.
“It’s three games, hopefully we win the first and the second and arrive to the third with our destiny in our own hands.”
FT: Manchester City 5-1 Wolves
Haaland is the first in front of the Sky cameras.
He says that City need to “keep going and focus on next week”.
He says that 25 goals this season is “not bad”, and adds that he finds motivation from “a not so bad manager who pushes me”.
“Look at the players around me, without them it would not be possible.
“I try to develop every single day. I had some problems but let’s not focus on them, focus on the positive things.”
He adds that City need to “look ahead to the next one”.
“We’ve got four finals ahead,” he adds.
When asked about the potential importance of goal difference, he replies: “First of all it’s about winning the games, but of course you want to have the best goal difference”.
“But don’t think about that – think about Fulham.”
FT: Manchester City 5-1 Wolves
For the home side, attention turns to their trip to south London on 11 May. They face Fulham in the early kick-off next Saturday, before a midweek trip to Tottenham for their game in hand.
Wolves also travel to south London next week, for a game against Crystal Palace.
Real Madrid are La Liga champions!
Meanwhile in Spain, Catalan giants Barcelona have been beaten 4-2 by regional rivals Girona. That result means that Real Madrid are La Liga champions after beating Cadiz 3-0 today!
Girona have also guaranteed themselves Champions League qualification for the first time.
FT: Manchester City 5-1 Wolves
FT: Manchester City 5-1 Wolves
FULL-TIME! The ref blows the whistle and City have strolled to another win. There’s one point in the title race once more.
A comprehensive home victory, and they’re one behind with a game in hand. Business as usual for Guardiola’s side.
Manchester City 5-1 Wolves
94 mins: Grealish spreads it wide to Doku, who beats Ait-Nouri again as he surges into the box. He cuts a cross back, but Alvarez hits it behind. That’ll be that.
Manchester City 5-1 Wolves
92 mins: City still on the attack as Rodri and Doku look to create something, but nothing else yet.
The Belgian beats Ait-Nouri down the right, but his cross is headed behind.
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