Manchester City ended a four-game winless run in the Premier League by beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0, with Antoine Semenyo scoring his first league goal for the club.

After a disappointing week with back-to-back losses in all competitions, Man City – who started the game with Erling Haaland and Phil Foden on the bench – closed the gap to leaders Arsenal to four points with their first league victory of 2026.

Omar Marmoush, leading the attack in place of Haaland, scored his first Premier League goal of the season to give Pep Guardiola’s side a much-needed early lead, while he also struck the post as they continued to dominate.

Semenyo, who also hit the woodwork, made sure of the points on the stroke of half-time, curling his low shot past Jose Sa, with Wolves unable to mount a comeback after the break.

City remain second, while bottom-of-the-table Wolves are 14 points from safety.

How the match unfolded

The hosts’ fast start got an early reward, as Marmoush met Matheus Nunes’ delightful right-sided cross with an outstretched boot to poke home six minutes in.

Marmoush then came close to a second shortly after the half-hour mark, cutting inside from the left before hitting the foot of the right post.

The Citizens then had a penalty appeal for handball against Yerson Mosquera turned away following a VAR review, with the defender's arm deemed to be in a natural position.

But Semenyo, who had seen an earlier effort smothered by Sa, added to their lead in the second minute of first-half stoppage time, curling a low shot into the bottom-left corner.

After a quiet first half, Wolves grew into the contest, with Joao Gomes bending a free-kick onto the roof of the net, while substitute Jorgen Strand Larsen glanced a header wide, possibly from an offside position.

Both sides came close to late goals, with Semenyo drilling a powerful strike off the corner of the goal frame, while Mosquera’s flicked, looping header hit the crossbar at the other end.

Man City end testing week on a high

It had been a week to forget for Man City, who saw their Premier League title hopes dented by the derby defeat to Manchester United, before stumbling in the UEFA Champions League against Bodo/Glimt.

Guardiola rang the changes in an attempt to get his team back on track. Haaland was given a breather, introduced as a substitute in the 74th minute with City already 2-0 up.

His replacement Marmoush seized his opportunity to impress, taking minutes to score on his first league start since August. It was the Egyptian's first Premier League goal since May 2025.

Omar Marmoush celebrates scoring for Manchester City against Wolves

Semenyo continues to thrive since his move from AFC Bournemouth, netting his third goal for Guardiola’s side, but he arguably should have scored earlier, shooting straight at Sa after meeting debutant Marc Guehi’s cross-field pass.

Some of City's control slipped in the second half, though. While they continued to dominate possession, they struggled to put Wolves under sustained pressure.

Gianliugi Donnarumma looked shaky dealing with some of the crosses into his box, but Man City’s defence held firm against late pressure, which will please Guardiola ahead of another busy week.

His team host Galatasaray in a crucial Champions League game in midweek, before heading to Tottenham Hotspur next weekend.

Wolves’ positive run comes to an end

Wolves’ position at the bottom of the table still suggests a great escape may be beyond them, but that has not stopped the renewed positivity surrounding Molineux in recent weeks.

Going unbeaten in four games and picking up a first win of the season during that run has been a tonic after a dismal first half of the campaign, but they knew they would be in for a test against a bruised Man City side.

Rob Edwards set up his team to sit with a back five and was happy to invite the inevitable pressure from Man City, even after they were carved open so early on, and for large parts, the game was played in front of their defence.

Wolves had a couple of half-chances before the break without testing Donnarumma, but Edwards made a double substitution at the break, which included the introduction of Strand Larsen.

And it provided the visitors with a more obvious focal point; they pinned Man City back, winning a series of set-pieces that had Donnarumma worried, though their final touch was lacking as they failed to test the goalkeeper.

Ultimately, they were unable to turn their pressure into a late goal that could have rattled their hosts, and Edwards will be hoping they can bounce back from this result at home to Bournemouth next time out. (premierleague.com)

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