Manchester City 1-0 Wolves - Premier League RECAP: Kevin De Bruyne scores winning goal in his penultimate home game at the Etihad

That's all folks! This live blog has now closed.

Wolves' winning streak is over and Man City are now unbeaten in nine.

I leave you tonight with JACK GAUGHAN's match report from the Etihad.

Wolves boss Vitor Pereira speaking to Sky Sports:

In the end, that's football! I am very proud of my team. I said that we can lose a game, but we can't lose our identity, our courage, our ambition, our commitment and our team spirit. Today we showed all of that in our team. We were just missing the result.

Our identity as a team is one who wants to press higher when we should. A team that knows how to defend and wants to have the ball and create chances. We didn't do that today, but I am still happy.

On his plans for next season:

I want to see the same spirit, trying to compete. We must lose a game, like today, but we showed that we have quality to compete. We are proud of ourselves and our supporters. I will drink my beer because we deserve it! It was a good game.

Wolves captain Nelson Semedo speaking to Sky Sports:

We had two good chances to score, we couldn't score but we leave the stadium with a good sensation and everyone gave everything of themselves so if we keep doing that, we are going to do great things in the future. I'm proud of my team.

We want to finish the season in the right way, we have two games at home now and one away and we are going to go for it. We had six in a row winning and seven unbeaten but today unfortunately we couldn't carry on with that level but we have a lot of positive things to take from this game and we are going to chase three wins.

With Vitor [Pereira's] arrival, we had a change and a change is always good. He makes us stronger, stronger connection with the fans now. All of that together and the way that Vitor wants to play. He makes us better and we are improving. It was a tough season but we are enjoying now. We knew that we weren't doing well but we had the quality to do better. We didn't win today but we showed team spirit and good qualities. We have a bright future in front of us.

Kevin De Bruyne was the match winner tonight. He was also voted as the official man of the match.

So why is he leaving this summer? Well, that might be a question De Bruyne himself would like to be answered.

That's because he has made it clear that he wanted to sign a new contract with City.

He has just been speaking to Sky Sports on the pitch:

We found a way to win. Now we can relax and see what the others do. It's been a tough year, but we're finding a bit of a groove to find the games we need to win. I'm just trying to play as good as I can. I know I've got one game left here, but I just try to do my job like I've always done.

I'm proud of what I'm doing and that's how it's always been. A lot of team-mates have spoken to me, they're sad also that I'm leaving but sometimes that's how it goes in life. The way I'm performing and acting, is how everyone should be. I don't know [what the future holds], unfortunately. I've showed I can still play or I wouldn't do what I've done in the last four or five weeks.

1. Liverpool – 82 pts (34 played, GD +48)

2. Arsenal – 67 pts (34 played, GD +34)

3. Man City – 64 pts (35 played, GD +24)

4. Newcastle – 62 pts (34 played, GD +21)

5. Chelsea – 60 pts (34 played, GD +19)

6. Nottingham Forest – 60 pts (34 played, GD +12)

7. Aston Villa – 57 pts (34 played, GD +5)

8. Fulham – 51 pts (34 played, GD +4)

9. Brighton – 51 pts (34 played, GD +1)

10. Bournemouth – 50 pts (34 played, GD +12)

11. Brentford – 49 pts (34 played, GD +8)

12. Crystal Palace – 45 pts (34 played, GD -4)

13. Wolves – 41 pts (35 played, GD -11)

14. Man United – 39 pts (34 played, GD -8)

15. Everton – 38 pts (34 played, GD -7)

16. Tottenham – 37 pts (34 played, GD +6)

17. West Ham – 36 pts (34 played, GD -19)

18. Ipswich Town – 21 pts (34 played, GD -41)

19. Leicester City – 18 pts (34 played, GD -49)

20. Southampton – 11 pts (34 played, GD -55)

City take the points, but Wolves will feel they were in this one right to the end.

The visitors hit the woodwork twice in the second half and pushed for an equaliser, despite seeing less of the ball overall.

Here’s how the numbers looked at the final whistle:

Possession: Man City 63.9% – 36.1% Wolves

Shots on Goal: Man City 2 – 1 Wolves

Shot Attempts: Man City 9 – 6 Wolves

Fouls: Man City 7 – 11 Wolves

Yellow Cards: Man City 0 – 0 Wolves

Red Cards: Man City 0 – 0 Wolves

Corner Kicks: Man City 4 – 5 Wolves

Saves: Man City 0 – 1 Wolves

So, City look well on course to qualify for the Champions League.

They are also just one win away from FA Cup glory.

Then, of course, this season could even end with them being crowned world champions.

Ahead of this summer's expanded Club World Cup, Bernardo Silva told ITV Sport this week that he was very excited about the FIFA event.

Well, I’m for it because if you look at the competition, it’s a beautiful competition if you look at the teams who are going to be there. The format, it’s nice - I like that. I would say we are very much looking forward to that specific competition. It is going to be a beautiful one with teams all across the world. It’s a nice cup that we have an opportunity to win. I think it is going to be played every four years so you don’t have the chance like the Premier League or Champions League to win it every season. We are going to give our all to win it.

The corner is aimed towards Sa but he can't get a clean header on the ball and the final whistle blows.

City hold on for a victory that takes them four points clear of Nottingham Forest in sixth.

They are now only three points behind Arsenal in second.

Corner to Wolves.

Up comes goalkeeper Jose Sa...

Toti gives away a needless free-kick to give City a breather.

Bernardo Silva has no intention of swinging a cross into the box but he may as well have because City give the ball away.

An agitated Pep Guardiola is briefly on the pitch as City prepare to defend a long-range free-kick.

He swiftly returns the right side of the touchline in time to see his time scramble the ball clear.

There is still so much space out there, as five minutes of added time are signalled.

City are continuing to stretch the pitch, which is playing in Wolves' hands as they push for an equaliser.

Cunha is going off for Wolves. Skipper Semedo is leaving the pitch too.

On come Santiago Bueno and Hwang Hee-Chan.

City make a triple change as Pep Guardiola brings on three Englishmen for the final seven minutes plus added time.

De Bruyne is given a standing ovation as he leaves the field along with Marmoush and Gundogan.

On come Phil Foden, James McAtee and Rico Lewis.

The Etihad is getting a bit edgy and so and some of the City players.

City could really do with a second goal to settle those nerves but they haven't created much since half time.

Wolves just made another sub. They are going to go for it, it seems.

Goncalo Guedes is on for Andre. A very attacking change.

Bernardo Silva pinches the ball off Rayan Ait-Nouri, who then catches the City man's ankle with his studs.

The referee only gives a free-kick but the VAR then checks for a possible red card.

Eventually, Ait-Nouri is allowed to stay on the field. Lucky boy.

Also luckily, Silva is not badly hurt and he is ok to continue.

With just over 20 minutes to go, Wolves are still very much in this.

The visitors make their first subs of the night as Pablo Sarabia and Rodrigo Gomes come on.

Off go Matt Doherty and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde.

The McAtee idea appears to be on ice now.

Erling Haaland's just received a good ovation as he trotted down the touchline for the first time.

There hasn't felt much in this game at all really.

It looks like James McAtee has been told to go through a more vigorous warm up and there needs to be some added energy in this from a City perspective.

Perhaps in response to seeing him losing possession twice in quick succession, Pep Guardiola is taking off O'Reilly.

On comes Manuel Akanji, with Gvardiol moving to left back.

In other news, Haaland has taken his coat off and is now warming up!

Wolves strike the post for the second time today!

Cunha's powerful shot against the woodwork comes moments after Nico O'Reilly gives the ball away for the second time in two minutes.

Guardiola is not happy... again.

Guardiola is still shaking his head furiously on the sidelines.

Meanwhile, Omar Marmoush is currently down getting some treatment.

It looks like he will stay on though. Either way, Erling Haaland is still sat down and wearing a huge coat on the bench.

City have started the second period like they ended the first, pinning Wolves back deep inside their half as they seek another goal.

But after five minutes of pressure, Wolves boot the ball long and it almost leads to a chance.

Pep Guardiola is visibly not impressed by this and is seen shouting at his players.

The action resumes as Wolves kick-off at the start of the second half.

There were no subs at the break, so the XIs out there remain as follows:

Man City XI: Ederson, Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O'Reilly, Gundogan, Kovacic, Bernardo, Doku, De Bruyne (captain), Marmoush

Wolves XI: Sa, Semedo (captain), Doherty, Agbadou, Toti, Ait-Nouri, Andre, J. Gomes, Munetsi, Bellegarde, Cunha

Matheus Nunes is making his presence felt against his former club.

The Portuguese midfielder, now operating at right back, had more touches than any other player in the first half with 59 and led the way defensively with four successful tackles. A lively performance so far from the ex-Wolves man.

Kevin De Bruyne, the difference-maker so far, completed 25 passes at 92 per cent and scored with his only shot on target.

Josko Gvardiol also stood out at the back for City. The Croatian made one interception, blocked a shot and completed 43 of his 46 passes.

For Wolves, Rayan Aot-Nouri quietly impressed. He completed all 27 of his passes, chipped in with two interceptions and had two shots going forward.

Kevin De Bruyne’s sixth goal of the season is the difference at the break, with Manchester City holding a narrow lead at the Etihad.

City have had more of the ball and more shots, but Wolves have offered enough going forward to suggest this is far from over.

Here’s how the numbers stack up at the interval:

Possession: Man City 66.2% – 33.8% Wolves

Shots on Goal: Man City 2 – 1 Wolves

Shot Attempts: Man City 7 – 5 Wolves

Fouls: Man City 6 – 3 Wolves

Yellow Cards: Man City 0 – 0 Wolves

Red Cards: Man City 0 – 0 Wolves

Corner Kicks: Man City 3 – 2 Wolves

Saves: Man City 0 – 1 Wolves

City started sluggishly and could easily have been 2-0 down.

But ever since De Bruyne opened the scoring, the home side hwas been well on top.

Wolves needed that half-time whistle. They need to regroup but they are still well in this contest.

City are looking good since taking the lead.

After two minutes of probing at the Wolves backline, City lose to ball only to win it back thanks to some impressive pressing.

That pressing is led by De Bruyne, who then celebrates winning a hotly-contested throw-in like it was his second goal of the night.

Moments before that City goal, Wolves manager Vitor Pereira was seen shouting at Cunha... for tracking back!

He clearly wants Cunha to stay up and pose a counter-attacking threat.

But it was a City counter-attack that broke the deadlock.

Kevin De Bruyne fires City ahead.

The goal was the result of some fine work by Doku down the left.

City haven't been great tonight. But they lead.

City enjoy a decent spell of pressure. Marmoush is denied a one-on-one chance by a superb last-ditch interception.

But Wolves don't get the ball fully clear and O'Reilly finds himself in space moments later. His shot is deflected wide for a corner.

Wolves have been the better side so far.

They look like a team who has won six games in a row.

How have Wolves not scored!?

Rayan Ait-Nouri has just hit the post and then had a shot cleared off the line by Josko Gvardiol from the rebound.

Wolves have just missed a sitter.

Remember when Big Ange's Spurs went down to nine men against Chelsea and just lined everyone up on the halfway line?

Well, City's defending a moment ago was a bit like that.

Their high line was breached and Wolves charged forward with multiple players clean through.

Bellegarde tried to square the ball to Munetsi for a tap-up but played the pass too far ahead of him and City survived.

City are stroking the ball about with a bit more purpose now.

They work it wide right to the overlapping Nunes, who whips in a nice cross.

But Jose Sa races off his line to claim impressively.

In an attempt to rouse their team after a sluggish start, City's fans belt out 'We're Not Really Here'.

Meanwhile, Wolves have just worried City again with another long ball in behind their high line.

Edgy stuff so far.

Wolves soak up the City pressure and then break with a long ball, which causes chaos.

The visitors throw numbers forward to add support and City nervously scramble the ball out for a corner, which comes to nothing.

A warning sign for Guardiola's men.

Man City keep the ball for exactly 100 seconds from kick-off before Ruben Dias unleases the first shot of the game.

He misses the target from long range.

Wolves then go from not having had a touch to registering their first shot as Cunha fires wide, also from long range, at the other end moments later.

City get the game underway.

Wolves, fresh from an intense pre-match team huddle, will have to do a lot of pressing today, you'd imagine.

The players enter the arena as 'Hey Jude' is belted out in the background.

City captain Kevin De Bruyne, pushing a child mascot in a wheelchair, leads out the home team.

Both sets of players look very serious in their pre-match line-ups.

Kick-off is just three minutes away!

Pep Guardiola has moved to clear up his remarks about taking a break from football, insisting he has no plans to leave Manchester City any time soon.

Speaking to Sky Sports pitchside ahead of kick-off tonight, the City boss said: 'I didn't say I was leaving now or at the end of the season. If they sack me, then yes!'

Guardiola had told ESPN Brasil this week that he would 'stop' after finishing his time at City, sparking speculation about an early exit. But tonight he made it clear that might not be for a while.

I said that when I finish my time here in I don't know one, two, three, four, five years, I don't know, I will take a break. So I'm not retired, but I will take a break, for sure. Do you know what a two-year contract for a manager in football means? It's an eternity. So what I'm saying is that when I'm finished here, I will take a break. I will need to make a stop, that's all.

There's plenty riding on tonight’s clash at the Etihad.

For Manchester City, three points would take them above Newcastle into third place on goal difference and strengthen their grip on a Champions League spot.

A draw would leave them fourth, just one point above Chelsea and Forest. Defeat would mean they remain fourth, but would open the door for others to close the gap.

City are still in the hunt for silverware too. They'll face Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final later this month and will want momentum going into that game. A top-three finish and another trophy could maybe even be seen as a solid recovery after failing to retain the title.

For Wolves, a seventh straight Premier League win tonight would move them above Manchester United into 13th and continue their remarkable late-season surge under Vitor Pereira. They’re already safe from relegation, but a top-half finish is very much in play. Wolves are just five points off Brighton in ninth with four games to go.

Wolves still have Brighton, Crystal Palace and Brentford to come after tonight, and if they keep this run going, they could end the campaign with their best top-flight finish since 1979-80.

Jamie Carragher has backed Pep Guardiola's decision to step away from football when his Manchester City contract ends, saying the City boss has more than earned a spell on the sidelines.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Carragher said: 'Everyone who works with him says how demanding he is. It’s not easy to keep up with that level.

'He's been hugely successful and he's been here a long time. If he feels like he needs a year out, he deserves it.'

Carragher also suggested that City will go through a summer of change once the current season is over.

'I think they'll have the reset in terms of what they'll do in the market in the summer,' he said. 'There was a lot of talk of Pep maybe leaving this season, but he signed a contract this season.'

Pep Guardiola says he plans to step away from football when his Manchester City contract expires in 2025.

Speaking to ESPN Brasil, the City boss confirmed he will "stop" once his current deal ends but hasn’t yet decided if it will be a temporary break or something more permanent.

Guardiola has been at City since 2016 and is now in his ninth season at the Etihad. He previously took a year out after leaving Barcelona before joining Bayern Munich.

'After my contract with City, I'm going to stop. I'm sure,' he said. 'I don't know if I'm going to retire, but I'm going to take a break.'

He also reflected on the challenges of this season, with City currently fighting to secure Champions League qualification after falling well short in the title race.

'It has been a year of great learning for me personally,' he said. 'I knew we would fall at some point, but we fell a lot. Now we have to understand why and learn from it.'

Huge news for City that Haaland is back.

Pep Guardiola was warning yesterday that the club needed to be careful with his ankle injury that had been complicated.

But we now expect to see him on the pitch, albeit as a sub, barely 24 hours later.

Kevin De Bruyne has a strong record against Wolves, with five goals and five assists in just nine Premier League appearances.

The Belgian captains City tonight. Will he lead by example and deliver more goal contributions?

Vitor Pereira makes just one change to the side that beat Leicester 3-0 last weekend.

Jean-Ricner Bellegarde replaces the in-form Jorgen Strand Larsen, who misses out with a minor groin issue.

That's a big blow for Wolves.

Matheus Cunha leads the line, while captain Nelson Semedo starts in a back five that also includes Matt Doherty and Toti.

Wolves XI: Sa, Semedo (captain), Doherty, Agbadou, Toti, Ait-Nouri, Andre, J. Gomes, Munetsi, Bellegarde, Cunha

Subs: Bentley, Bueno, Hwang, R Gomes, Doyle, Sarabia, Guedes, Djiga, Lima.

Maybe Haaland will feature tonight after all...

The Norwegian striker is back in the matchday squad for the first time since late March and takes his place on the bench at the Etihad.

Haaland has missed City’s last four matches with an ankle injury but could now play some part tonight.

Pep Guardiola makes four changes to the side that beat Nottingham Forest at Wembley last weekend.

Ederson replaces Ortega in goal, while Ilkay Gundogan and Jeremy Doku come into the starting eleven.

Kevin De Bruyne also starts what will be his penultimate home game for City.

Jack Grealish, Rico Lewis, Savinho and Ortega all drop to the bench.

Man City XI: Ederson, Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O'Reilly, Gundogan, Kovacic, Bernardo, Doku, De Bruyne (captain), Marmoush

Subs: Ortega, Moreno, Haaland, Grealish, Nico, Akanji, Savinho, Foden, Lewis, McAtee

Manchester City have won 14 of the 21 Premier League meetings between these sides, including eight of the last nine.

Wolves have only managed one win at the Etihad in that time, back in 2019 when Adama Traore scored twice on the break.

The stats below, courtesy of our friends at Squawka, break down how the two sides compare this season and highlight the impact Omar Marmoush has made since joining City in January.

Wolves fans won't forget their famous 2-0 win at the Etihad in October 2019.

Adama Traore scored twice late on to shock the champions.

Traore netted again later that year in a 3-2 victory at the Molineux that competed a memorable double against City.

Since then, however, it has been one-way traffic.

Wolves have lost eight of their last nine Premier League meetings with City.

Pep Guardiola has adapted his defence in recent weeks, with former Wolves playmaker Matheus Nunes and teenager Nico O'Reilly stepping into full back roles.

The pair offer energy and attacking intent, but could their lack of defensive experience could be something Wolves look to target?

Matheus Cunha has been directly involved in 21 goals this season, with 15 goals and six assists.

Jorgen Strand Larsen is in red-hot form too, scoring six in his last six league games, including four winners.

But Wolves have attacking threats all over the pitch. They have had 12 different scorers in the Premier League so far this season.

Erling Haaland is unlikely to feature tonight.

The City striker is back in training but is still short of full fitness.

Rodri is also back on the training pitch but not yet ready for Premier League action.

However, Kevin De Bruyne could return to the starting XI, while James McAtee is available again after suspension.

We will have confirmed team news around 6.45pm.

Manchester City have quietly put together an eight-match unbeaten run in all competitions.

Still, they haven’t looked at their dominant best for much of the campaign.

A win tonight would make it five in a row for the first time since October.

Good evening! Wolves arrive at the Etihad chasing a slice of history.

They've won six in a row in the Premier League, and only once before have they managed seven in the top flight. That was back in 1946.

Can Vitor Pereira’s in-form side match that 79-year-old benchmark tonight?