Football news – Manchester City cruise past 10-man Wolves to keep pressure on Liverpool

An early goal from Gabriel Jesus, followed by a debatable red card for Willy Boly, gave Manchester City a routine win and took them back to within four points of Liverpool at the top of the Premier League. Wolves, who will be relieved to have avoided a more significant hiding, stay 11th.

The game started fairly sedately, but then on 10 minutes, one good pass from Aymeric Laporte and one lapse in concentration from Matt Doherty set Leroy Sane away, and Jesus slid home his low cross from close range.

Nine minutes later the game was effectively over. Boly slid into a challenge in slightly wild manner, but had calculated that he’d arrive at the ball some time prior to Bernardo Silva. He did, and won it well, but the referee deemed his effort to be dangerous and off he went.

Wolves managed to keep City out for the next little passage of play, but six minutes before half-time, Ryan Bennett’s ill-judged tackle on Raheem Sterling was penalised and Jesus stroked home the resultant penalty.

City lost some intensity in the second half, adding only one more goal, and that slightly fortuitous - Kevin de Bruyne’s cross was wicked, but would probably have curled wide had Conor Coady not imparted head to ball. Instead, the side-netting rippled, and City had another commanding win, along with their first league clean sheet since November. After injuries and an iffy run, they are looking ominous once more.

What is City's best team? Bernardo Silva is now established in central midfield, but so are Fernandino, De Bruyne and David Silva. Meanwhile, Sergio Aguero is still the number one striker, but in the biggest games, will it Leroy Sane or Riyad Mahrez? These are good problems to have, but when City play the best teams in Europe, ones he'll need to solve.

Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City) No player especially stood out, so it's hard to look beyond the man who scored the first two goals.

Manchester City: Ederson 6, Walker 6, Stones 6, Laporte 7, Danilo 6, Fernandinho 6, Silva 5, Bernardo 6, Sterling 6, Jesus 7, Sane 6. Subs: De Bruyne 6, Gundogan 6, Aguero 6.

Wolves: Patricio 6, Bennett 5, Coady 6, Boly 5, Doherty 5, Dendoncker 5, Moutinho 5, Neves 5, Jonny 5, Jota 5, Jimenez 5. Subs: Traore 6, Gibbs-White 6, Saiss 6.

10’ - GOAL! Manchester City 1-0 Wolves (Jesus) Ha! A luscious pass from Laporte, who's left of the centre-circle, absolutely rinses Doherty, taking him out of the game while Sane hares into the space between him and Bennett. A low cross, a slide from Jesus, and that's a very fine goal.

19’ - RED CARD BOLY! Bernardo wriggles past a challenge out on the right, then Boly scythes into a challenge, turning his body so that his side is parallel to the ground. He makes decent contact with ball and then gets a bit of man, but after taking his time, Craig Pawlson shows him a red card. I can see why, because it was a dangerous one, but om the other hand, Boly calculated he'd get there first and did. Harsh, I'd say.

36’ - Hello! Wolves have a counter! A nondescript passage in centrefield sees Jimenez bundle Laporte off it and he advances then feeds Jonny, inside the box on the left. He should shoot but instead gets wide, looking to thread a pass into the path of Jota. But there's too much on it, and the chance goes. Poor from Jonny, but good from Wolves to get three men forward.

39’ - PENALTY TO CITY! Give and go between Sterling and Silva - this time, Sterling is on the left. Bennett slides in from the wrong side, with no chance of getting the ball, and there you go.

40’ - GOAL! Manchester City 2-0 Wolves (Jesus pen) Jesus stutters, opens his body, and rolls towards the bottom right as Patricio dives the other way. This is another kicking if City can be arsed.

78’ - GOAL! Manchester City 3-0 Wolves (Coady own goal) The corner, from the left, goes short and De Bruyne has plenty of time to step inside and measure a brute of a cross - one of those for which the keeper can't commit lest someone get a touch, but might end up in the far side-netting. So Coady gets a touch, and it ends up in the far side-netting anyway.