Manchester City could temporarily climb to the top of the Premier League table on Sunday afternoon if they secure a win against last-place Wolverhampton Wanderers. The champions head into this clash following a thrilling 3-2 victory over Fulham before the international break, while Wolves are reeling from an 8-goal spectacle, where they lost 5-3 to Brentford.Off the pitch, Manchester City had a whirlwind international period, with speculation over Pep Guardiola’s future with England swirling until Thomas Tuchel took charge, and the announcement of Txiki Begiristain’s departure. Meanwhile, both City and the Premier League claimed legal wins in their APT rules dispute.On the field, Manchester City remain unbeaten in all competitions this season, though their recent win over Fulham didn’t come easily. Andreas Pereira shocked the Etihad with an early goal for the visitors, but City responded through Mateo Kovacic and a stunning strike from Jeremy Doku. A late goal from Rodrigo Muniz wasn’t enough to deny City the points.This victory snapped a brief winless run in the Premier League and kept City just a point behind leaders Liverpool, while Arsenal gave a boost to the throne holders by falling to Bournemouth on Saturday.The day the Gunners fell silentCity have extra motivation on Sunday: avoiding defeat would see them set a new club record of 31 Premier League matches without a loss, with their last defeat dating back to December 2023.Wolves, on the other hand, have struggled mightily, sitting at the bottom of the table. They come into this match on a five-game losing streak across all competitions, and they haven’t won a Premier League game in their last 10 attempts.Gary O’Neil’s team featured in a wild encounter at the Gtech Community Stadium before the break, but their defensive frailties were exposed once again in a 5-3 defeat to Brentford. Despite their struggles at the back, Wolves have scored in each of their last eight games since their opening-day loss to Arsenal, but they have conceded 15 goals in their last five defeats — an average of three per match.While Manchester City aims to set a club record for unbeaten games, Wolves risk losing their first four home matches of a league season for the first time in history. Despite this, the club’s leadership still believes in O’Neil’s ability to guide them to safety.PEP 💬 They [Wolves] have got less points than they deserve. It’s what I can see after watching them during the international break. Always have been tough, since Nuno Espirito Santo was manager. All the time they have been exceptional. pic.twitter.com/UJEhYfFK4j— Manchester City (@ManCity) October 18, 2024 O’Neil did mastermind a memorable 2-1 victory over Manchester City at Molineux last season, though City have dominated this fixture otherwise, winning seven of their last eight encounters, including a 5-1 rout in May, with Erling Haaland netting four goals.Before the international break, Guardiola was hopeful that Kevin De Bruyne and Nathan Ake might be fit for this game, but he has since acknowledged that their returns could come later. Ake might have a slim chance of featuring, but Rodri remains sidelined with an ACL injury, and Oscar Bobb isn’t expected back until December due to a leg fracture.Erling Haaland, fresh off setting a new record as Norway’s top scorer, will aim to add to his tally of eight goals in just four Premier League games against Wolves, though only one of those goals came away from home.A cat has nine lives. ETH at least a dozenWolves, meanwhile, have new injury concerns following the international break. Hwang Hee-chan picked up an ankle injury during South Korea’s World Cup qualifier against Jordan and will be out for a few weeks. He joins Yerson Mosquera, Sasa Kalajdzic, Enso Gonzalez, and Boubacar Traore on the injured list, though teenage defender Bastien Meupiyou could finally be in contention to play.Even without Hwang, O’Neil’s attacking plans remain the same, with Jorgen Strand Larsen and Matheus Cunha expected to lead the line. Cunha could make an unwanted bit of history, as he aims to avoid becoming just the third Premier League player to lose five consecutive matches in which he has scored.The Spurs with no mercy for neighbours from London!ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE – MATCHDAY 8SaturdayTottenham – West Ham 4-1 (1-1)/Kulusevski 36, Bissouma 52, Todibo 55 og, Son 60 – Kudus 18/Fulham – Aston Villa 1-3 (1-1)/Jimenez 5 – Rogers 9, Watkins 58, Diop 69 og/Ipswich – Everton 0-2 (0-2)/Ndiaye 18, Keane 40/Man.Utd. – Brentford 2-1 (0-1)/Garnacho 46, Hojlund 62 – Pinnock 45+5/Newcastle – Brighton 0-1 (0-1)/Welbeck 35/Southampton – Leicester 2-3 (2-0)/Archer 8, Aribo 28 – Buonanote 64, Vardy 73 pen, Ayew 90+7/Bournemouth – Arsenal 2-0 (0-0)/Christie 70, Kluivert 79 pen/Sunday16:00: (8.00) Wolverhampton (5.30) Man.City (1.35)18:30: (1.70) Liverpool (4.10) Chelsea (5.20)Monday22:00: (2.30) Nott.Forest (3.30) Crystal Palace (3.20)***odds are subject to change***
