GOAL! Man City 1-0 Wolves (Haaland 12 pen)

10 min: Penalty to City! A marvellous one-touch move from City ends with Bernardo Silva clipping a cross beyond the far post. Gvardiol smacks it over the bar on the bounce and is caught a split-second later by Ait-Nouri. The referee takes a beat, hears the demands of the City players and then gives the penalty.

I’m not sure about that. It was more of a collision than a foul, and it didn’t impact Gvardiol’s shot. But VAR has upheld the decision.

9 min “I’ve been struck down by some sort of illness so I’ve sat, somewhat pathetically, on the sofa and watched snooker and the Giro,” says David Bowen. “But enough exciting insights into my day.

“One football cliche I have always been confused by is ‘it’s not about performance at this stage of the season, it’s about getting the job done’. Is there any point at any season where it’s not about ‘getting the job done’?”

I don’t mind that cliche, which at least made sense before Jose Mourinho taught everyone in England that points accrued in August and May have the same value. Until then there was often an attitude that the season didn’t start until after Christmas.

8 min Rodri whistles an elegant half-volley over the bar from distance.

6 min Wolves have been positive in possession, trying to get at City quickly rather than give themselves a breather by keeping the ball for a bit.

4 min Haaland feeds the ball into De Bruyne near the penalty spot. He tries to wriggle away from Toti, who stands his ground and wins the ball well. De Bruyne has started very high up the field, almost in a 4-4-2 formation. Pep’s been watching those 1988-89 Football League videos again.

4 min Haaland makes a menacing run behind Toti, but Kovacic’s pass – a difficult one to play because of the angle – runs through to Jose Sa.

2 min Ait-Nouri has started at right wing-back for Wolves, with Semedo as the right centre-back.

1 min Wolves kick off from right to left as we watch. They’re wearing their red change strip because of a clash between the usual home kits.

A reminder of the teams

Man City (possible 4-2-3-1) Ederson; Walker, Akanji, Ake, Gvardiol; Rodri, Kovacic; Bernardo, De Bruyne, Foden; Haaland.
Substitutes: Dias, Stones, Grealish, Doku, Ortega, Alvarez, Gomez, Nunes, Lewis.

Wolves (possible 5-3-2) Jose Sa; Semedo, Toti, Kilman, H Bueno, Ait-Nouri; Gomes, Lemina, Traore; Hwang, Cunha.
Substitutes: Doherty, Santiago Bueno, Sarabia, Bentley, Bellegarde, Gonzalez, Okoduwa, Chirewa, Fraser.

Referee Craig Pawson.

David Silva is back at the Etihad for the first time since Covid (I think). He has just stepped onto the field with his family, smiling a little sheepishly; most of the City fans are on their feet applauding him.

“Do prayers have any effect at all?” muses Charles Antaki. “Apparently Sir Francis Galton ran the numbers, back in the late 19th century, on the comparative health and longevity of ordinary Brits versus members of the royal family, and it turns out that, in spite of routine weekly prayers on behalf of the latter in every church up and down the country, they were no healthier or longer-lived than anyone else. So Arsenal fans have no real reason for lighting the candles and getting out the prayer mats for Wolves this afternoon. But then again it can’t hurt.”

Gary O’Neil, the Wolves manager, won’t be on the touchline today. He’s suspended after losing his rag with VAR last month.

Today's Premier League results

The last time City didn’t win the league, in 2019-20, Wolves did the double over them. Mind you so did Manchester United and that definitely isn’t happening this season.

Pre-match reading

Team news: Haaland and Foden start

Preamble