Manchester City won a match for the 21st time in a row on Tuesday. Pep Guardiola’s team did not have an easy home against Wolverhampton Wanderers, but thanks to three goals in the last ten minutes, it was won 4-1. Manchester City are now unbeaten for 28 official matches in a row (25 victories, 3 draws): a match of the club record between April and December 2017. The next opponent is Manchester United, which now has 15 points less and plays at Crystal Palace on Wednesday evening before Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team will finish the city derby at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
An own goal by Leander Dendoncker was the deciding factor in the first 45 minutes. Manchester City did not run into problems in the first half, because the visitors admittedly the number of opportunities of the Citizens but could not play any significant role from an offensive point of view. The team of Nuno Espirito Santo, who left Ki-Jana Hoever on the field for ninety minutes, had only 25 percent of the ball and never shot Ederson’s goal.
Guardiola saw his team take the lead after fifteen minutes of play. After a lovely deep ball from Rodri, Rihad Mahrez worked the leather from the right into the goalkeeper, where Dendocker came in front of Raheem Sterling and worked the ball into his own goal: 1-0. It was already his second own goal in the Premier League for the Belgian. Only Conor Coady passed by the Wolves more often his own goalkeeper than Dendoncker: three times.
After an hour of play, the moment Wolverhampton Wanderers had been waiting for came: the first shot on goal after the first touch in the Manchester City penalty area was an immediate hit. After a sophisticated free kick by Joao Moutinho, Coady headed the ball diagonally into the right corner behind Ederson: 1-1. It was the defender’s first ever in the Premier League. The equalizer visibly increased self-confidence during the visit, which, however, was unable to create real danger.
Manchester City took the game in the last ten minutes. Kyle Walker led from the right towards the goal mouth, where the ball was ready by Dendoncker with the heel for Gabriel Jesus. The Brazilian hit from close range: 2-1. The third goal came in the name of Mahrez, who after fumbling by substitute Owen Otasowie in the penalty area, pushed the ball into the left corner. In extra time it even became 4-1: Rui Patricio turned a long shot by Ilkay Gündogan only half, after which Gabriel Jesus made his second of the evening.
Premier League record
Manchester City has not been behind in one of its last nineteen games in the Premier League. That is a match of the record set by Arsenal, which between December 1998 and May 1999 had to brush away a disadvantageous margin in no league game.