Haaland's Hunt: Man City Eye Crucial Win Over Resurgent Wolves in Premier League Thriller

Manchester City host Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Etihad Stadium in a pivotal Premier League clash on January 24, 2026, as Pep Guardiola's side aim to rebound from a recent Champions League setback.

City enter the match in second place with 43 points from 22 games (13 wins, 4 draws, 5 losses, +24 goal difference), trailing leaders Arsenal by seven points. Erling Haaland leads the scoring charts with 20 goals in 22 matches, supported by Phil Foden's 7 goals.[2][5]

Wolves languish near the bottom with 8 points (1 win, 5 draws, 16 losses), but show signs of revival, unbeaten in their last five games across competitions, including draws against Everton, Manchester United, and Newcastle, a league win over West Ham, and a 6-1 FA Cup triumph over Shrewsbury.[1]

The kick-off is at 8:30 PM IST (3:00 PM GMT), live-streamable in India via JioHotstar app and website with subscription. Etihad Stadium hosts this Matchweek 23 fixture, refereed by Farai Hallam.[1][4][10]

Recent updates indicate an early goal in the first half: Omar Marmoush scored for City in the 45'+2 minute, assisted by Matheus Nunes, putting City 1-0 up at halftime.[6]

Injury news: Marc Guehi is set to start in defense amid central defender shortages, as confirmed by Guardiola. Nicolas Gonzalez is doubtful with an undisclosed issue.[3]

Odds heavily favor City at -338, with Wolves at +850, and over/under 2.5 goals line set. Analysts predict an 80% chance of a City win.[3][7]

Standings snapshot: Arsenal (50 pts), Man City & Aston Villa (43 pts), Liverpool (36 pts), Man Utd (35 pts). A win keeps City's title hopes alive.[2][5]