Manchester City 0-2 Wolves: Traore double stuns insipid champions

Posted Monday, October 07, 2019 by Goal.com

It is advantage Liverpool in the Premier League title race after Manchester City were stunned at home by Wolves.

Adama Traore's double means Manchester City remain eight points behind Liverpool at the Premier League summit as Wolves stormed to a 2-0 win at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

The Reds' last-gasp win over Leicester City a day earlier opened up a sizeable lead over Pep Guardiola's side, who were unable to reduce the deficit after an insipid display.

City were second best to their well-drilled opponents for long periods, with Traore's two breakaway goals in the final 10 minutes handing Nuno Espirito Santo's side a thoroughly deserved three points.

Wolves squandered a glorious opportunity to take a fifth-minute lead, Patrick Cutrone skewing horribly wide after being played clean through by Traore.

A sloppy pass from Riyad Mahrez almost cost his side midway through the first half, but two superb blocks by Fernandinho denied Raul Jimenez and Cutrone.

Jimenez then failed to get a shot away quickly enough when bearing down on Ederson after another wayward pass from City, this time from Nicolas Otamendi.

A sluggish City failed to test Rui Patricio inside the opening 30 minutes, although the Wolves goalkeeper did keep out Raheem Sterling and Kyle Walker's efforts from outside the penalty area shortly before the interval.

City went agonisingly close to taking an undeserved lead in the 67th minute when David Silva's wonderful free-kick from 25 yards crashed back off Patricio's crossbar.

Substitute Bernardo Silva saw a goal-bound strike blocked 15 minutes from time – a reprieve that was clinically capitalised on by Traore soon after.

The Spaniard superbly slotted past the onrushing Ederson from Jimenez's pass after an incisive counter-attacking move to stun the home faithful.

The 23-year-old then wrapped up a notable win in stoppage time, again latching onto a Jimenez pass and clipping past Ederson in what was almost a carbon copy of his first goal.