MATCH REPORT: Wolves 3 Manchester City 2

The Irish wing-back thundered home in the 89th minute as Wolves did the double over the Champions and sent a message to the rest of the Premier League.

It was a first-half marred by VAR but Wolves, powered by their hero from that 2-0 win at the Etihad, Adama Traore, clawed their way back from 2-0 down to sink 10-man City.

Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo had named an unchanged side from the 2-1 victory at Norwich City.

His opposite number Pep Guardiola also opted for a strong side with star striker Sergio Aguero making his first start since November 23.

The forward made his return off the bench in the 3-1 win over Leicester City but his return to the starting line-up was elevated due to Gabriel Jesus' illness.

Guardiola's City lined-up in a 4-3-3 compared to Wolves' usual 3-4-3 but it was a war of attrition in the opening stages as both sides tried to release their quick front three with aerial balls.

Benjamin Mendy and Leander Dendoncker both needed treatment after an aerial collision on Wolves' right-flank before the game flared up.

Wolves' battle to do the double over City looked to have eased when opposition keeper Ederson saw sent to the stands in just the 13th minute.

Coady had done the damage with a sublime long ball from deep that propelled Jota into a one-on-one situation.

Ederson sprinted out of his box to greet the Portuguese forward but Jota got to the ball first.

He stroked the ball past the shot-stopper who then impeded his run, sending Jota tumbling and giving the referee Martin Atkinson no choice other than to produce a red card.

Striker Aguero was the man to be sacrificed as keeper Claudio Bravo made his way off the bench.

But despite that drama at the back Wolves could not dent the scoresheet with Doherty closest as he rifled the ball straight down Bravo's throat.

With the score locked at 0-0 VAR took centre stage.

Atkinson had waved away Mahrez's penalty claim as he tumbled under pressure from Dendoncker.

But the video officials overruled his decision, ruling that Dendoncker had stepped on Mahrez's foot as he sprinted past him in the box.

The contact was certainly there but it was Mahrez's theatrical fall that incensed the home faithful.

Patricio, fresh from his heroics at Norwich, dived to his right and tipped away Sterling's subsequent spot-kick.

But the purple VAR check signal flashed up on the big screen once again to silence the roar that bellowed from a misty Molineux.

It was skipper Conor Coady who was on hand to hoof the ball out for a corner after Patricio's initial stop, but it was ruled that he had encroached as he sprinted into the box to meet the rebound.

Patricio was un-fazed and made the stop again but this time Sterling would not miss the opportunity and gobbled up the rebound in the 24th minute.

They might have been the right decisions on paper but that five-minute video drama sucked the life out of the clash.

It had given the game a bitter edge and the PA announcer beamed loud and clear a warning to both sets of fans after reports of objects being thrown in the stadium.

City player Benjamin Mendy was pictured showing the referee a silver hip flask that appeared to have been thrown from the crowd.

But while the warning message to both sets of fans was loud and clear the VAR system was still struggling to convey the simplest of messages to a jam-packed Molineux.

The simmering tempers within the stands threatened to boil over then they showed a replay of the Dendoncker foul, but they did not show skipper Coady's encroachment to explain the re-take in a baffling five minutes.

It left the crowd both baffled and incensed but after the haze from that incident lifted Wolves would fight back and end the half on a high with Neves and Traore having chances.

Guardiola switched to five at the back after the break as Mahrez made way for Eric Garcia.

But City would increase their lead despite that defensive shift.

Wolves had managed to keep City danger-man Kevin De Bruyne quiet but he thrived in the new formation.

He sliced open Wolves and sent Sterling though to chip Patricio in the 50th minute.

But the heads did not drop and their hero from the 2-0 win at the Etihad, Traore, made his mark minutes later.

The wing-wizard thundered the ball home into the bottom corner as Wolves asked questions of 10-man City.And they got their reward in the 82nd minute.

Traore sensed blood as Mendy tried to usher the ball out for a goal-kick.

The wing-wizard pinched the ball away from the City man's feet before putting the ball on a plate for Jimenez to score his 17th of the term.

Ruben Vinagre and Pedro Neto had entered the fray and the extra man began to tell as the clock ticked down.But it was a combination of Jimenez and Doherty that would give Wolves the lead in the 89th minute.

Doherty played the ball inside to Jimenez from the right-wing and the Mexican forward out-foxed the City defence to fizz the ball back to the Irishman.

Doherty showed all the coolness of Jimenez to blast the ball home and send Wolves on their way to three points.

Sterling continued to battle but a late free-kick clipped the bar and flew over as City's title hopes suffered a mighty blow in the Midlands.

Key Moments

12 - RED CARD! City keeper Ederson is off for wiping out Jota! Coady plays a peach of a ball over the top, and Jota looks to latch onto it. Ederson races off his line and clatters into the forward - straight red. Bravo then comes on between the sticks, with Aguero sacrificed.

25 - Goal. The visitors go ahead in utterly bizarre circumstances. A VAR check sees City given a penalty, with footage showing Dendoncker stepped on Mahrez's foot. Sterling takes the spot-kick, and Patricio makes a fantastic save. However, another VAR review results in a retake for encroachment by Coady. Then, Sterling steps up again, and Patricio saves once more. The City man, though, scores on the rebound. Such a tough one to take for Wolves!

50 - Goal. City double their advantage. Dendoncker tries to play Sterling offside, but he is undone by a well-timed run from Sterling and superb pass from De Bruyne. The former goes one-on-one with Patricio and coolly chips the ball into the net.

55 - GOOOOALLLLLLLLL!! What a strike from Traore! The Spaniard drives at the heart of the City defence, and he unleashes a right-footed piledriver from 20 yards which finds the far corner via the inside of the post. An emphatic finish from the winger. Wolves are still in this!

73 - So close to a Wolves leveller! Moutinho's free-kick from an acute angle is flicked on by Saiss - just past the far post. Inches wide. The Molineux faithful, for a second, thought it had gone in.

83 - GOOOOOOOALLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!! The hosts get their equaliser as Traore turns provider! Mendy tries to be clever and shield the ball out of play, but Traore manages to steal it off him and squares the ball across goal, where Jimenez pokes under Bravo to make it 2-2!

90 - GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOALLLLLLLLL!!!!!!! What a turnaround from Wolves! Incredible scenes - and what a finish from Doherty! The Irishman cuts inside from the right, leaving Otamendi on his backside, and calmly curls the ball past Bravo and into the far corner with his left foot. City then have Sterling hit the crossbar with a free-kick. What a wonderful win for Wolves! An unforgettable night!

Teams

Wolves (3-4-3): Patricio; Dendoncker, Coady (c), Saiss; Doherty, Moutinho, Neves, Otto (Vinagre, 72); Traore, Jimenez (Bennett 90+2), Jota (Neto, 79)

Subs not used: Ruddy (gk), Vallejo, Kilman, Cutrone

Goals: Traore (55), Jimenez (83), Doherty (90)

Man City (4-3-3): Ederson; Walker, Otamendi, Fernandinho (C), Mendy; Rodrigo, B Silva, De Bruyne (Gundogan, 66); Mahrez (Garcia, 46), Aguero (Bravo, 14), Sterling

Subs not used: Zinchenko, Angelino, Cancelo, Foden

Goals: Sterling (25, 50)

Red card: Ederson (12)

Attendance: 31,737

Referee: Martin Atkinson (Leeds)