JESUS SAVES
Gabriel’s double ensures City’s party 4 1 goes on as they bag 21st win in a row
GABRIEL JESUS ensured Manchester City’s winning run kept going as his late double finally saw off Wolves on a tense night at the Etihad.
Conor Coady’s first goal since April 2018 had injected an air of panic cancelling out Leander Dendoncker’s first-half owngoal on 61 minutes.
But faced with their historymaking streak ending, Jesus grabbed an 80th-minute goal sparking scenes of celebration that felt like the league itself.
In stoppage-time Riyad Mahrez added a third before Jesus struck again.
So Pep Guardiola, right, and his men remain unbeaten in 28 matches – a club record – and took a winning run in all competitions to 21.
As importantly they stretched their lead at the top of the Premier League to 15 points over Manchester United, opponents here on Sunday.
It was well deserved even though Wolves set the cat among the pigeons by levelling.
City were ahead after 15 minutes but had been in control from well before then.After five minutes, City had completed 105 passes to Wolves’s 15 yet visiting goalkeeper Rui Patricio probably had most of them.
Raheem Sterling had raced through after three minutes hooking a first-time left-foot shot on the angle which the Wolves goalkeeper smothered.
The pressure from City was relentless and it was no surprise Wolves eventually broke.
The move started with lovely ball from Rodri from a few yards in front of the centre circle in Wolves’ half, swept out to Mahrez cutting in from the right flank.
The winger’s first touch was superb, bringing it under control. His second arrowed the ball across the six yard area where Dendoncker, with Sterling arriving just behind him, turned the ball past Patricio. Pinned a back on their keeper’s laces, Wolves’s only outlet was the isolated Adama Traore. From there to the end of the first half they showed only brief flashes of collective intent.
City were denied a second on the stroke of half-time, Aymeric Laporte firing in from close range but adjudged by VAR to have just strayed a shoulder offside. Wolves’ strategy of just hanging on was rewarded just after the hour mark, Rodri conceding a sloppy free-kick outside the area and Joao Moutinho floating in a lovely ball that Coady headed in. It was like poking the hornets’ nest with City turning up the pressure.
And they were rewarded as Jesus got on the scoresheet in the 80th minute as he turned and swivelled to fire home after a pass from KyleWalker.
Mahrez made the game safe when he turned in a loose ball, and Jesus then added the fourth when he pounced on a rebound with the effort surviving a VAR review for offside.
MAN CITY (4-3-3): Ederson 5; Walker 6, Dias 6, Laporte 6, Cancelo 6; De Bruyne 7, Rodri 7, Bernardo 7; Mahrez 8, Jesus 6, Sterling 7. Goals: Dendoncker 15 og, Jesus 80, 90, Mahrez 90.
WOLVES (3-4-2-1): Patricio 7; Dendoncker 6, Coady 6, Saiss 7; Hoever 4, Neves 5 (Otasowie 90) , Moutinho, Jonny (Silva 56); Semedo, Neto; Traore.
Goal: Coady 61.