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:
Manchester City 1-0 Wolves
19 mins: City still keeping the ball well, with Haaland just inches from connecting with a ball into the box from the wing.
Now Silva is offside, and Wolves have a chance to breathe.
Manchester City 1-0 Wolves
17 mins: Wolves had made quite a confident start, but they’re struggling to get out of their half now.
Silva clips in another cross to the far post, and Haaland heads it goalwards but Sa makes an impressive diving save down to his left.
Manchester City 1-0 Wolves
16 mins: City are getting into their rhythm now. The ball bounces back to De Bruyne after he tried to clip in a cross, but his volleyed attempt is skewed wide.
Manchester City 1-0 Wolves
15 mins: Wolves fans will probably feel aggrieved in a similar way to Bournemouth fans after Havertz was awarded a penalty earlier. Both soft, but once they were given they were never going to be overturned. It’s something to learn for Art-Nouri and Travers respectively.
Shortly after kick-off, Kilman is close to bringing down Kovacic in the box, but luckily his challenge is clean.
GOAL! Manchester City 1-0 Wolves
12 mins: GOAL! Haaland steps up and rolls his penalty to the right of Sa, having sent the Wolves ‘keeper the wrong way.
1-0!
PENALTY! Manchester City 0-0 Wolves
9 mins: PENALTY! Out of nowhere almost!
De Bruyne finds Silva on the overlap in the box. The Portuguese clips in a cross to the far post, and as Rayan Ait-Nouri goes to clear it, he collides with Gvardiol – who has won the challenge to get the shot away – and the penalty is given!
A short check, and the decision stands. Probably a little soft.
Manchester City 0-0 Wolves
8 mins: Wolves are happy to leave the wide areas free when defending, with Gary O’Neil’s side clearly told to be compact in the middle in defence.
City attack again and the ball bounces out to Rodri on the edge of the box, but the Spaniard’s half-volley flies over.
6 mins: Silva does well to dispossess Cunha and win a throw-in from the Brazilian, but it was wasteful from Cunha in truth.
Not a frantic opening from either side.
Manchester City 0-0 Wolves
4 mins: Almost an opening for Haaland now after De Bruyne slips the ball through to him, but Toti is there to intercept and clear.
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