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
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:
50 mins: Haaland drops deep to start the counter this time, and De Bruyne races through but he doesn’t have the pace to go 1-on-1 with Sa. Eventually he passes to Gvardiol, who can’t get the cross away.
Manchester City 3-0 Wolves
49 mins: There were initially four minutes added on, but we’ll get more I’m sure.
Wolves are next to attack as Cunha spreads it wide to Ait-Nouri, but Ederson catches his cross.
GOAL! Manchester City 3-0 Wolves
48 mins: GOAL! Haaland steps up, takes a short run up and blasts his penalty into the same corner as the first one. Sa dived the right way and got a hand to it, but the power took it past him.
21st hat-trick of Haaland’s senior career there, and it’s come inside one half.
Manchester City 2-0 Wolves
46 mins: PENALTY! It’s given, and Haaland will have the chance to bag his hat-trick.
Semedo is booked too.
Manchester City 2-0 Wolves
45 mins: On the replays, it’s a clear penalty. Semedo clips Haaland just before he shoots, knocking him off balance. It looks like it’ll be given.
Manchester City 2-0 Wolves
44 mins: VAR CHECK! Haaland receives the ball and he’s one-on-one with Sa, with Semedo racing back to try and win the ball. Haaland manages to get across him and it looks like Semedo brings him down, but nothing given. Craig Pawson is checking.
That looked like more of a penalty than the first incident.
43 mins: De Bruyne wins the ball on halfway and drives diagonally to the edge of the box before slipping the ball in for Foden, but he can’t get a shot away.
Manchester City 2-0 Wolves
42 mins: Some Wolves players – Cunha, Gomes, Traore, for example – look comfortable in possession, but the others far less so, and the away side are missing someone to link defence and attack.
Manchester City 2-0 Wolves
40 mins: First booking of the evening as Lemina clips Foden.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments