{"id":293088,"date":"2023-09-30T16:34:53","date_gmt":"2023-09-30T16:34:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/allmysportsnews.com\/?p=293088"},"modified":"2023-09-30T16:34:53","modified_gmt":"2023-09-30T16:34:53","slug":"wolves-2-1-manchester-city-hwang-on-target-as-hosts-upset-the-odds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/allmysportsnews.com\/soccer\/wolves-2-1-manchester-city-hwang-on-target-as-hosts-upset-the-odds\/","title":{"rendered":"Wolves 2-1 Manchester City: Hwang on target as hosts upset the odds"},"content":{"rendered":"
\u00a0Manchester City\u2019s perfect record went up in smoke on a fiery afternoon that should kickstart Gary O\u2019Neil\u2019s tenure at Wolves.<\/p>\n
Wolves, superb throughout, had faltered so far this term but there came a mix of an off-colour City and a pantomime villain in Matheus Nunes that stirred this stadium into a cauldron.<\/p>\n
City could not cope and the home crowd actually contributed to Nunes being hauled off at half-time on his return by Pep Guardiola, sat in the stands serving a suspension.<\/p>\n
Hwang Lee-chan\u2019s winner six minutes after the hour, on a trademark breakaway, offers a major boost to O\u2019Neil yet gives Guardiola plenty to ponder after such a seamless start to their latest title defence.<\/p>\n
This result was coming long before the maligned Craig Pawson blew up. The sight of Erling Haaland, blunted by Craig Dawson and Max Kilman, hurtling towards Pawson moments before the break told it all of City\u2019s early frustration.<\/p>\n
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Gary O’Neil’s Wolves secured a historic victory by defeating Manchester City at Molineux<\/p>\n
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The hosts produced an inspired performance while Pep Guardiola’s side were below par on Saturday<\/p>\n
Hwang, already on a booking, had felled Kyle Walker and City implored Pawson to reach into his pocket again. Wolves played on the edge, thundering into tackles \u2013 buoyed by the persistently ferocious jeering of Nunes \u2013 but City believed it had gone too far.<\/p>\n
Yet as Guardiola made his way down three flights of stairs from directors\u2019 box to dressing room, he knew that a failure to break through a stubborn wall was why the defending champions were behind. The solution was to call for teenager Oscar Bobb, replacing Nunes. \u2018What a waste of money,\u2019 rang out from the Sir Jack Hayward end. The home support had completed their job quite nicely, seeing off someone they view as a mercenary and who apologised at how his time here ended.<\/p>\n
Things had become overly congested in the central areas of the pitch, City not really threatening sufficiently from wide. Dawson\u2019s intervention when Haaland was destined to poke the visitors into an early lead, deflecting a Nunes centre away from the Norwegian, had been as close as they came.<\/p>\n
Pawson was in danger of losing control, though, and there is an irony that Guardiola \u2013 never shy in coming forward on the touchline \u2013 might have found himself in the book had he not been serving a one-match ban for three yellow cards. Sat two seats down from Mike Summerbee in the main stand, he was reduced to chuntering to sporting director Txiki Begiristain.<\/p>\n
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The Spaniard was serving a touchline ban and watched his side’s defeat from the stands<\/p>\n
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City had the better of the early chances with Manuel Akanji sending an effort over the bar<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
But Wolves would shock the Premier League leaders after Pedro Neto made a strong run into the box<\/p>\n
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Portugal international’s subsequent effort was deflected off Ruben Dias to give his side the lead\u00a0<\/p>\n
Wolves had their plan and, following the patrolling Gary O\u2019Neil, sat in to wait for countering opportunities, boldly keeping three men forward to fully capitalise. Possessing Pedro Neto is rather handy for that and the Portuguese, who is beginning to re-emerge as a force, caused untold issues down the City left. The opener, on 13 minutes, was all of his doing.<\/p>\n
Mateo Kovacic and Phil Foden crowded each other\u2019s space and Neto was off, 15 yards into his own half. Foden couldn\u2019t keep up and Nathan Ake was done for pace, Neto charging towards the byline. He looked up, saw Matheus Cunha timing his advance, only for Dias to intercept beyond Ederson for them.<\/p>\n
Cunha later dispossessed Kovacic in another dangerous area, while Manuel Akanji threw himself in front of Hwang on another sharp break.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Molineux resembled a bear pit and that only heightened further 13 minutes after the break. Not for the quality of Julian Alvarez\u2019s free-kick, helped into the top corner by a despairing Jose Sa, but the award.<\/p>\n
Bobb appeared to be given a free role and progressed towards the box when Joao Gomes nudged him. Bobb bundled over, Pawson blew for the foul and this place lost its head.<\/p>\n
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Craig Dawson produced a pair of vital goal-line clearances to deny the visitors<\/p>\n
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City looked to have forced their way back into the game when Julian Alvarez netted direct from a free kick in the second-half<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
But Wolves continued undeterred and Hwang-Hee Chan restored his side’s lead just minutes later<\/p>\n
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City applied the pressure in the final stages but O’Neil’s side hung on to secure their second league win of the season<\/p>\n
Yet the theme of this was that Wolves had the measure of City. Hwang had his goal, deliriously twirling away into the corner after mopping up a scramble.\u00a0<\/p>\n
To get to that position, Wolves clipped a ball over Ake \u2013 an area they regularly profited from \u2013 and the sense of chaos into City\u2019s box saw Dias block Hwang\u2019s first effort before the South Korean was afforded a second bite, Walker narrowly failing to head it off the line.<\/p>\n
Minutes before that, Dawson hooked Foden\u2019s effort off their line. Sa hung on to an arrowed Walker shot from long range, while Jonny made sure a Kalvin Phillips strike was stopped at source as Wolves dug in for a huge victory.<\/p>\n
WOLVES\u00a0<\/span>(3-4-3): Sa, Gomes, Kilman, Dawson, Ait-Nouri, Gomes, Lemina, Semedo, Hwang, Cunha, Neto<\/p>\n Subs<\/span>: Doherty, Bueno, Traore, Silva, Kalajdzic, Otto, Sarabia, Bentley, Hodge<\/p>\n Goals<\/span>: Dias 13′ (OG), Hwang 66′<\/p>\n Booked<\/span>: Hwang, Lemina<\/p>\n Manager<\/span>: Gary O’Neil<\/p>\n MAN CITY\u00a0<\/span>(4-2-3-1): Ederson, Ake, Dias, Akanji, Walker, Kovacic, Nunes, Doku, Alvarez, Foden, Haaland<\/p>\n Subs<\/span>: Carson, Ortega, Phillips, Grealish, Gomez, Gvardiol, Bobb, Lewis<\/p>\n Goals<\/span>:<\/p>\n Booked<\/span>: Walker<\/p>\n