John Stones scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner as Manchester City secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Wolves at the Molineux Stadium on Sunday.
Early in the first half, Jorgen Strand Larsen’s unexpected opening goal for Wolves put Pep Guardiola’s team behind.
Josko Gvardiol pulled City even before halftime, and Stones led the visitors to a thrilling sixth victory in eight league games this season with seconds remaining in stoppage time.
Wolves, who are at the bottom of the table, said that Bernardo Silva’s interference on goalie Jose Sa and Stones’ offside should have disallowed the goal.
However, after contacting the pitchside monitor, referee Chris Kavanagh disregarded their objections.
After the leaders defeated Chelsea 2-1 at Anfield later on Sunday, City is still in second place, one point behind Liverpool.
With 31 games unbeaten in the league since their defeat to Aston Villa in December, Guardiola’s team has set a new club record as they aim to win the English championship for the fifth time in a row.
Only six teams in English Premier League history have won more than 30 games in a row, most notably Liverpool’s 44-game winning streak from 2019 to 2020.
After just seven minutes, Strand Larsen at the far post received a pinpoint low cross from Nelson Semedo, and the attacker ducked under Stones for a straightforward close-range finish, rocking the champs.
Ilkay Gundogan’s trickery gave Silva room for a low effort from 12 yards out, but Sa pulled it away, and City almost responded right away.
Guardiola’s team, which is notoriously careless at the back, came dangerously close to losing again when Semedo ran through a huge gap in the visitors’ defenders but Ederson made a stop.
Wolves supporters jeered at Savinho’s air shot, but Gvardiol quiet them in the 33rd minute.
The Croatian defender took possession on the edge of the Wolves box, looked up to aim, and then fired a fantastic curler that whistled into the top corner.
Gvardiol had scored five goals in his previous seven away league outings.
In his four prior league games versus Wolves, Haaland had scored eight goals, or one every forty minutes.
This time, he was much more anonymous, and it took 49 minutes for him to get a chance, which the 24-year-old wasted with an eight-yard miskick.
City centre-back Ruben Dias attempted a 25-yard drive against Wolves’ crowded defence, but Sa made a great stop.
With a powerful drive that went just wide, Matheus Cunha came very near to giving Wolves the lead again against the flow of play.
After Silva first blocked Sa’s view and briefly touched the goalie before sinking down as the ball sailed past him, Stones got up to head home from a corner.
As Guardiola and his team performed a happy jig of relief, Kavanagh overturned his first judgement to deny the goal after VAR instructed him to check the pitchside monitor.
Sa held Jack Grealish’s shot after Gundogan’s free-kick deflected wide, as City continued to chase before winning.
