Man City v Wolves: Wolves looking to disrupt City’s charge towards title

A number of injuries and a seven- game winless run that only came to an end last week, means the European dream is over for another season.

Despite that disappointment, Wolves can still round off an impressive season with three big fixtures.

Starting at Manchester City tomorrow, Gary O’Neil’s side have the opportunity to earn their ‘disruptors’ tag.

The head coach has appropriately given his side that nickname this season for their record against the traditional top six and their unexpected challenge for European football.

A fixture at the Etihad Stadium is always one to relish, but it now becomes a chance for Wolves to have a say in the title race and O’Neil and his players seem excited by that challenge.

A win would also see Wolves do the double over City – a truly remarkable feat against one of the best teams in the world.

To make that possible, O’Neil will need to be put together a flawless tactical plan that the players must carry out perfectly, and that leaves the head coach with some selection headaches.

In the reverse fixture at Molineux back in September – a 2-1 Wolves win – the hosts kept Erling Haaland quiet.

The towering striker managed just one shot on target, a tame deflected effort that was easily collected by Jose Sa, and Craig Dawson received most of the plaudits for nullifying the attacker.

Dawson was exceptional that day. He man-marked the Norwegian, was strong in the tackle, beat him in the air and bullied him all afternoon.

With City now hoping to close in on the title and Haaland being offered a rest last week, he is expected to start tomorrow and Wolves will need to find another answer to this problem with Dawson’s season over following groin surgery.

The task will now likely fall to skipper Max Kilman, who must stand tall in the face of adversity.

The other conundrum is in midfield with City loanee Tommy Doyle unable to play against his parent club.

It would be a fairly straightforward decision for O’Neil to name the same starting XI and a midfield three of Mario Lemina, Joao Gomes and Boubacar Traore.

But without Doyle in the squad, Wolves’ options from the bench are severely limited if all three midfielders start.

O’Neil needs to find the balance with his squad on Saturday evening, in a game they will likely need to frustrate City in and catch them on the break.

If Pedro Neto and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde return in time to make the squad, it could make O’Neil’s selection dilemma much easier, but it could be a game too soon for them.

As a result, dropping Traore and saving him for later in the game might be a necessary evil on this occasion.