Man City 1-0 Wolves : Player ratings & Man of the Match

Manchester City strengthened their lead at the top of the Premier League table with a 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.

The first period was a rather dull affair at the Etihad, with the hosts not at their fluid best and were limited to shots from distance or scrappy efforts from inside the box.

But the biggest moment of the opening 45 minutes came when Raul Jimenez was sent off after receiving two yellow cards in the space of just 31 seconds, the first for a foul on Rodri and the second after he blocking the subsequent free-kick.

Jon Moss had another big call to make in the second half, when he awarded a penalty after Joao Moutinho was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box, and a VAR decision confirmed the award of a spot-kick.

It was Raheem Sterling who stepped up and slotted it home on 66 minutes, to register his 100th Premier League goal.

Manchester City player ratings

Ederson- 6

Was essentially little more than a bystander throughout and was only called into action in injury-time of the second half, when he made a great stop to keep out Max Kilman’s header. That was Ederson’s 100th clean sheet for City.

Joao Cancelo- 8

City’s best player and our Man of the Match, the full-back was a constant attacking threat on Saturday. Cancelo’s through balls into Sterling and Bernardo Silva offered City’s most potent dangerous attacks, and he was similarly impressive when rampaging forward after the break.

Ruben Dias- 6

Had an ongoing battle with Adama Traore which saw him pick up a first-half booking, but in general the defender dealt well with the No.37’s physicality. Dias was solid as usual, without being overly tested by the Wolves frontline.

Aymeric Laporte- 7

Like Dias, it was a quiet afternoon for the No.14 and, excluding a few misplaced first-half passes, enjoyed a good game.

Oleksander Zinchenko- 6

Linked well with his team-mates and found plenty of space in the opposition half. However, he failed to have the same impact as Cancelo on the other side.

Rodri- 7

Another calm display from City’s most underrated star. He snuffed out several Wolves passes in the first half and was quick and decisive in possession. His physicality also helped ensure City’s dominance in the centre.

Ilkay Gundogan- 7 (off 56)

Made repeated interceptions to stop Wolves counter-attacks in the opening 45 minutes and saw his header cleared off the line not long after the break. The German international was quick as always in possession and had a good game, but was sacrificed in the second half for the more attack-minded Phil Foden.

Bernardo Silva- 8

The Portuguese playmaker put in another good display. He habitually broke beyond the Wolves midfield and looked for the pass to break their organised defence. It was Silva’s ball that led to City being awarded a penalty, while he came close with a curled effort on 10 minutes and forced Jose Sa into a save midway through the second half.

Raheem Sterling- 6

Improved as the game went on, after a sluggish first 45 minutes. The England international had an ongoing battle with Romain Saiss, and a solid performance from Rayan Ait-Nouri limited Sterling’s creative impact. He did, however, calmly slot the ball past Sa from the spot in the 66th minute.

Gabriel Jesus- 6

Not the Brazilian’s best display in recent weeks and he misplaced a few too many passes in the first period. His industrious pressing helped create a few chances in the opposition half and he came close with three shots in the second period.

Jack Grealish- 5 (off 73)

Another indifferent day for the £100m man. He drifted across the the pitch in the first half but stuck to the left in the second. The former Aston Villa skipper didn’t always look on the same wavelength as his City team-mates and continues to take that extra touch in possession. He also missed a good chance at the back post a few minutes before being replaced.

Phil Foden- 7(on 56)

Gave City an added impetus after his introduction and started in the centre, before moving out wide after Kevin De Bruyne was brought on.

Kevin De Bruyne- 7 (on 73)

The Belgian gave an impressive cameo display and created a number of chances with through balls.

Wolverhampton Wanderers player ratings:

Sa 7; Kilman 8, Coady 8, Saiss 6; Semedo 5, Neves 7 (Trincao 82), Dendoncker 6 (Podence 87), Moutinho 6, Ait-Nouri 7; Traore 6 (Hwang 67;), Jimenez 3.