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Veteran midfielder nets winner in one of his final Etihad appearances as City edges past in-form Wolves; Guardiola quashes exit rumors.
Kevin De Bruyne scored the only goal of the match to give Manchester City a narrow 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday. Although City wasn’t at their best and the win didn’t feel fully earned, it was enough to push them into third place in the Premier League standings and boost their chances of qualifying for next season’s UEFA Champions League.
De Bruyne, who is set to leave City at the end of the season, showed once again why fans will miss him. In one of his last home games at the Etihad Stadium, he made a smart run and calmly side-footed the ball into the net after receiving a cut-back pass from Jeremy Doku. The goal came 10 minutes before halftime and turned out to be the winning moment in the match.
Wolves had been in good form recently, having won their last six league games, and they put up a strong fight against City. In fact, they looked like the better team at times and created several chances that could have changed the result.
In the 22nd minute, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde had a great opportunity to shoot but decided to pass instead. Unfortunately, his teammate Marshall Munetsi couldn’t quite stretch enough to connect with the cross. Just five minutes later, Rayan Ait-Nouri hit the post with a powerful shot, and his follow-up attempt was cleared off the goal line by City defender Josko Gvardiol.
The second half saw more close calls for Wolves. Matheus Cunha struck a powerful shot that smashed against the post — yet another moment where City were saved by the woodwork. Despite Wolves’ strong effort, their poor finishing and some bad luck with the goalposts kept them from scoring.
City held on to their slim lead and secured the win, even though it wasn’t a dominant performance. With three league games left, they remain in a strong position to secure a Champions League spot, which is awarded to the top four teams in the league.
After the match, City manager Pep Guardiola addressed recent rumors about his future. Some reports had claimed he was planning to leave the club soon. But Guardiola made it clear that he isn’t going anywhere just yet. He recently signed a contract extension that keeps him at City until June 2027.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Guardiola said, “I didn’t say I’m leaving now, or at the end of the season, or even at the end of my contract. What I said is, whenever I do leave, whether it’s in one, two, three, four, or five years, I will take a break from football.”
So for now, fans can expect Guardiola to stay at the club, at least until the end of his new contract.
Meanwhile, before the match began, some Manchester City supporters staged a protest over season ticket prices and the club’s policies. In a silent show of disagreement, they chose not to take their seats until after the game had already started.
Despite the drama on and off the pitch, it was Kevin De Bruyne’s night. The Belgian midfielder’s goal gave City three vital points in the league and reminded fans of his value as his time at the club draws to a close.