Johnson calms nerves after City suffer wobble

Manchester City 3 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1

(EPA)

Teams who win titles can always look back on days when they dug out a result rather than demolished the opposition, and for Manchester City this was one of those. There was little of the flowing football that had swept Manchester United aside 6-1 a week ago, but there were three more goals and three more points.

Leading 2-0 with second-half goals by Edin Dzeko and Aleksandar Kolarov, City endured a nervy finish after Vincent Kompany was sent off for conceding a penalty from which Stephen Hunt scored. Wolverhampton Wanderers suddenly sniffed the chance of an improbable point before the substitute Adam Johnson made sure of victory in injury time.

"It's impossible always to score four or five goals," Roberto Mancini, the City manager, said. "After Man U I didn't want people to think every game will be easy. Like today, any game can change. After the sending-off it was very hard. No complaints about the sending-off."

Although it hardly ended on the highest of notes, October has been a memorable month for City. They have won six games out of six in all competitions, with 24 goals scored, and have extended their perfect home League record to five matches – not to mention holding a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League.

Credit to Wolves for making a contest out of it, especially after their 5-2 home defeat by City in the Carling Cup in midweek. Although they have taken only one point from seven games, they can also take heart from yesterday's display, and but for an error by their goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey, otherwise arguably their best player, City might never have made the breakthrough.

"He was fabulous," Mick McCarthy, the Wolves manager, said. "He made one incredible save in the first half, so no recriminations from me. But it was another mistake that let the opposition take the lead. And we'd been doing OK. I'm annoyed we let them off the hook at the end."

Mancini had been expected to field the team that had beaten United, but he began the match with Mario Balotelli on the bench. Even so, Wolves found themselves facing four dangerous forwards, that often became five as Micah Richards advanced from right-back up the right wing.

Kevin Doyle shot across the City goal in the early stages, but it was an isolated first-half foray by Wolves. Hennessey had already had to tip over a volley by Samir Nasri in the opening minute, and City were on the attack for most of the opening 45 minutes.

After 15 minutes Dzeko volleyed over the bar, then Hennessey dived full-length to divert Sergio Aguero's low shot for a corner. Hennessey saved his side again when Aguero's pass sent Dzeko clear, getting enough of his fingertips to the Bosnian's goal-bound shot to flick it wide.

When City finally found a way past Hennessey after 52 minutes, it was thanks to hard work rather than superior skills, as well as an error on the part of the goalkeeper. Attempting to control a back-pass on the edge of his area, he realised too late that Aguero was rushing in from his right. His attempted clearance ballooned up off the Argentinian and dropped to Dzeko 25 yards out, who chested the ball down and shot into the empty net.

Things did not improve for Hennessey. Aguero cut the ball back from the right for David Silva, who tried a curling, left-foot shot. The goalkeeper could only parry the ball, which fell for Kolarov to score from six yards.

Wolves looked doomed to just keeping the score down, but with 15 minutes to go things shifted in their favour. There should have been little danger when Adiene Guedioura sent in a low, bouncing shot, but Joe Hart could not hold it, and as Doyle went for the loose ball he was brought down by Kompany. The City captain was sent off and Hunt converted the penalty – only the second League goal by a visitor to Eastlands this season.

With time running out and Wolves pressing, the substitute Balotelli robbed Roger Johnson and sped upfield. Via Yaya Touré the ball reached Johnson, criticised by Mancini in midweek, who curled in the best goal of the game from 30 yards before making a further point to his manager by tracking back and winning a tackle deep in his own half.

"In the first half their goalkeeper saved everything," Mancini said. "In the secondhalf we played very well, likethe first half. It was importantto win today."

Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Hart; Richards, Kompany, Lescott, Kolarov; Y Touré, Barry; Nasri (Balotelli, 71), Silva, Aguero (Savic, 76); Dzeko (Johnson, 63).

Wolves (4-4-1-1): Hennessey; Stearman, Johnson, Berra, Ward; Edwards (Hammill, 67), Guedioura (Ebanks-Blake, 85), Henry, Hunt; O'Hara; Doyle (Jarvis, 86).

Referee Stuart Attwell.

Man of the match Richards (Man City).

Match rating 6/10.