Manchester City have won nine of their last ten meetings with Wolverhampton Wanderers, scoring 28 goals during these matches, their sole defeat since December 2019 coming two years ago.
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester City preview
How strong will Manchester City be this season? When last we saw them, Pep Guardiola's team were competing at the Club World Cup, crashing out of that tournament prematurely. The Sky Blues were the only team to win all three group games and, when they demolished Juventus 5-2 in Orlando, they became favourites to win the whole thing. Thus, it was a major shock when, four days later, the Citizens were dumped out by Al-Hilal in the round of 16, ousted 4-3 after extra time on a crazy night.
This followed on from a, by their own standards, catastrophic campaign for Man City. They were eliminated in the Champions League first knockout round by Real Madrid, also finishing third in the Premier League, before losing in the FA Cup Final against Crystal Palace, thereby ending the season trophyless. This year though, having spent £180 million in January and then a further £155 million in the summer, so far, most are expecting much better from the Sky Blues, starting in the Black Country.
As for Wolverhampton Wanderers, can they start the new season with a shock victory? Last time round, when Gary O'Neil was sacked in mid-December, Wolves were firmly in the relegation zone, having lost 11 of 16 fixtures. His successor Vítor Pereira made a massive impact, winning ten off 22 league outings, including a sequence of six successive Premier League victories throughout April, which is Wolves' longest sequence in the top division for 55 years.
This time though, as Wolves prepare for an eighth successive top-flight campaign, there are fears Pereira's side could struggle. Two of their best players, namely Matheus Cunha and Rayan Aït-Nouri, have been sold while, with the promoted clubs potentially looking strong, the Old Gold have to be considered one of the primary candidates to be dragged into trouble. Thus, we make Man City firm favourites to leave Molineux with all three points come Saturday evening.
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester City head-to-head record
- Matches Played: 132.
- Wolves Wins: 50. Draws: 25. Manchester City Wins: 57.
Wolverhampton Wanderers team news
Vítor Pereira has deployed both a back four and a back five during pre-season, likely to go with the latter for this tough opener. David Møller Wolfe is poised to debut at left-wing-back, while fellow new recruit Jhon Arias will start in attack, with Fer López also hoping to debut at some stage.
Meantime, Brazilian duo André and João Gomes have to be considered amongst the best partnerships in the bottom half, and they'll need to be at their best in this match.
Wolverhampton Wanderers predicted lineup vs Manchester City: (5-2-2-1): José Sá; Hoever, Doherty, Toti, Agbadou, Møller Wolfe; André, João Gomes, Bellegarde, Arias; Strand Larsen.
Wolverhampton Wanderers player to watch vs Manchester City
Jørgen Strand Larsen's loan has been made permanent this summer, after scoring 14 goals last season, so, following Cunha's sale, the Norwegian striker will become even more vital.
Manchester City team news
After their club World Cup exploits, Pep Guardiola's side have had just one pre-season friendly, beating Palermo 3-0 last weekend, so will they be under-prepared? First and foremost, Rodri will not feature until September, after suffering a groin injury against Al-Hilal in Florida, which is a massive blow. With Mateo Kovačić also sidelined, Nico González and Nico O'Reilly started at the base of midfield during that aforementioned friendly in Italy, so will that be the same here too?
New signings Rayan Aït-Nouri, who will face his former club, Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders all debuted during the Club World Cup, so how many of that trio will start this Premier League opener? Meantime, in goal, James Trafford has re-joined the club from Burnley, so will he be instated as number one from day one, or will Ederson continue to don the gloves?
Manchester City predicted lineup vs Wolverhampton Wanderers: (4-3-3): Ederson; Akanji, Stones, Rúben Dias, Aït-Nouri; Reijnders, Nico, Doku, Cherki, Marmoush; Håland.
Manchester City player to watch vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
Erling Braut Håland's three goals at the Club World Cup meant he ended last season with just the 34 goals, which was viewed as a down year. In the battle of the Norwegian strikers, will he add to his eight in five appearances against Wolves?
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester City prediction
As referenced already, we're backing Man City for victory at Molineux, likely to have far too much quality for a Wolves team we're expecting will struggle: Wolves 1-3 Manchester City.
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester City FAQs - Premier League
How to watch Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester City in the Premier League on TV channel?
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester City in the Premier League will be available on the following TV channels;
- UK: Sky Sports Main Event, Premier League & Ultra HD.
- USA: fuboTV, NBC, Telemundo & Deportes En Vivo
- Canada: Fubo Sports Network Canada
How to watch Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester City in the Premier League on live streaming?
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester City in the Premier League will be available on the following streaming services;
- UK: SkyGo & NOW TV.
- USA: fuboTV, nbcsports.com, USA Network & Telemundo
- Canada: fuboTV Canada
What is the date and kick-off time for Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester City in the Premier League?
Wolves vs Manchester City takes place on Saturday 16 August 2025, with kick off at 17:30 (BST), 12:30 (EDT) & 9:30 (PDT).