Manchester City will be looking to move 15 points clear at the top of the Premier League table when they welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers to Molineux on Tuesday night.
The Citizens, who have won their last 20 games, will enter the contest off the back of a 2-1 win over West Ham United, while Wolves played out a 1-1 draw with Newcastle United on Saturday evening.
Man City continued their sensational winning run on Saturday afternoon with a 2-1 home success over top-four hopefuls West Ham; the Hammers levelled the scores in the 43rd minute of the contest through Michail Antonio, but John Stones added to a Ruben Dias header to secure all three points for the runaway leaders.
Pep Guardiola’s side have now won their last 20 matches in all competitions, including their last 14 in the Premier League, and it is very difficult to imagine them being caught at this stage of the campaign.
Indeed, Manchester United and Leicester City both dropped points on Sunday, and Man City’s lead at the top of the division is 12 points, while they have a much better goal difference than the two clubs directly below them.
The Citizens also have comfortably the best home record in the Premier League this season, winning 10 of their 13 matches, and they will be coming up against a Wolves side that have only picked up 15 points from their 13 away league games during the 2020-21 campaign.
Man City recorded a 3-1 win at Molineux earlier this season, but Wolves have won two of their last three Premier League meetings, including a 2-0 success at the Etihad Stadium last term.
Wolves, meanwhile, will enter Tuesday’s contest off the back of a 1-1 draw with Newcastle on Saturday night; Jamaal Lascelles sent the Magpies ahead in the 52nd minute of the contest, but Ruben Neves’s 73rd-minute effort ensured that the visitors would secure a share of the spoils.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have struggled for consistency during the 2020-21 campaign and are currently down in 12th position in the table, six points behind seventh-placed Everton, who have two games in hand.
Wolves are unbeaten in their last five league matches, though, winning three times in the process, including home successes over Arsenal and Leeds United.
Nuno’s team have a tough run ahead as they will face Aston Villa, Liverpool and West Ham in their three games after this one, and it is difficult to imagine them making a late push for the top seven considering the quality of the sides currently above them.
As mentioned, Wolves have struggled on their travels this season, while finding the back of the net has been a problem, managing just 27 goals in their 26 matches, which is the same as Newcastle.
Manchester City Premier League form: WWWWWW
Manchester City form (all competitions): WWWWWW
Wolverhampton Wanderers Premier League form: LWDWWD
Wolverhampton Wanderers form (all competitions): WDLWWD
Man City will again be without the services of Nathan Ake through injury, but the runaway leaders are otherwise in excellent shape, meaning that Guardiola will have the luxury of making a number of changes if he wishes.
The Spaniard is expected to shuffle his pack from the West Ham clash, with Bernardo Silva, Raheem Sterling, Joao Cancelo, Rodri and Phil Foden all in line to return.
Sergio Aguero is expected to drop out, having failed to make his mark against the Hammers, but Gabriel Jesus might have to accept a spot on the bench once again with Sterling potentially going through the middle.
As for Wolves, Fernando Marcal, Willy Boly, Raul Jimenez and Daniel Podence are again absent for the trip to the Etihad Stadium.
Nuno could ultimately decide to keep faith with the XI that started against Newcastle on Saturday, with Adama Traore and Pedro Neto again joining Willian Jose as part of a front three.
Fabio Silva and Rayan Ait-Nouri are the two players pushing hardest to be involved from the start after featuring off the bench on Saturday, but Jonny Castro should keep his spot as the left-sided wing-back.
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