NafisaWolves traveled to Manchester City on Friday aiming to extend their run of six consecutive Premier League victories.
The Old Gold began the match strongly, pressing Man City with several threatening counter-attacks and were unlucky not to find the net.
First, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde squandered a prime chance when through on goal, botching his pass to Marshall Munetsi instead of taking a shot himself.
Rayan Ait-Nouri then struck the post after the ball came to him in the box. Regrettably, Wolves paid the price for those early misses as Kevin De Bruyne blasted his effort past Jose Sa.
Wolves battled hard in the second half as they sought a leveling goal, but Pep Guardiola ultimately handed Vitor Pereira his first loss in nine games.
Here’s how the players performed.
Wolves player ratings vs Man City:
Jose Sa – 6
A superb save to thwart Nico O’Reilly in the first half, but he was powerless against De Bruyne’s strike. Honestly, he had little to do beyond that, though his passing could have been sharper.
Matt Doherty – 5.5
Doherty was outmaneuvered by Doku for City’s goal and required support to contain the Belgian. Still, the Republic of Ireland defender was generally reliable in his centre-back role.
Emmanuel Agbadou – 8
Another stellar display from Agbadou. The Ivorian is composed on the ball and fearless in carrying it forward from the back. He also showcased his exceptional passing range with some precise lofted passes.
Toti Gomes – 6.5
Kept things straightforward at the back for Wolves and effectively neutralized the danger posed by Omar Marmoush. Exactly what you’d expect from a player who has progressed significantly under Pereira.
Nelson Semedo – 5
Semedo faced a challenging evening against O’Reilly and Doku, who overwhelmed his flank and made defending tough. He also had minimal influence in attack, with the focus on defending.
Andre – 6.5
Wolves fans saw a rare misstep at the Etihad as Andre’s errant pass cost his team, which was uncharacteristic. Aside from that blunder, the Brazilian was neat in possession.
Joao Gomes – 7
A classic showing from Gomes, who was relentless in winning the ball back for Wolves in midfield, maintaining his strong partnership with Andre.
Rayan Ait-Nouri – 8
Ait-Nouri was outstanding once again on the left. He was unfortunate to hit the post in the first half after the ball fell to him and posed a constant danger going forward.
Marshall Munetsi – 4
Munetsi’s technical limitations were evident against City. The midfielder pressed diligently and brought his usual energy, but the 28-year-old offered little in possession.
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde – 4
Wasted a prime opportunity in the first half after being set up by Cunha. He overhit his pass to Munetsi instead of shooting, a mistake that proved costly when De Bruyne capitalized.
Matheus Cunha – 7
Cunha wasn’t as impactful as in recent weeks. The forward showed flashes of danger but faded in and out of the match. He did, however, nearly score in the second half when his long-range effort hit the post.
Substitutes
Rodrigo Gomes – 5
Entered with the daunting task of handling Doku, and the 21-year-old faced intense pressure from the Belgian.
Pablo Sarabia – 5.5
Recently a game-changer off the bench for Wolves, but it was always going to be tough for him to make a difference here, and he struggled to get involved.
Goncalo Guedes – 5.5
Came on for the final 10 minutes, leaving little time to make an impact, though he did deliver one enticing cross.
Hwang Hee-chan – N/A
Santi Bueno – N/A
Nafisa
