Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester City – Stats and Facts

Manchester City travel to Molineux in search of three points that will once again put them clear of Liverpool at the top of the Premier League. The Mersey reds won 2-1 at Aston Villa on Tuesday night to draw level on points, and the blues know that only a win will keep them at arm’s length.

Wolves also need the points as they chase a place in Europe next season, and will be hoping the blues have a slump after beating Newcastle 5-0 at the weekend.

City have had an indifferent set of results at Wolves, but their Premier League record is much better than the pre-Premier League visits. Since 1992, City have visited Wolves twelve times and have won five of those visits, the last of which came in a 3-1 opening day victory last season.

The blues have also lost five, including a 3-2 defeat in 2019 when leading 2-0, and a 4-1 hammering in December 1999. However, those defeats have been offset when the blues won 3-0 in December 2009 and a 5-2 League Cup victory in October 2011.

Prior to the Premier League era, City’s record is sketchy at best. From forty-nine visits, City won just ten and lost an incredible twenty eight, and have taken some beatings during that period.

After winning 6-1 at Wolves in March 1904, which is still City’s biggest win on Wolverhampton soil, the blues have been subjected to hammerings of 8-0 (1933), 5-0 (1934), 7-3 (1952), 7-2 (1955), 5-1 (1956 & 1973) and 8-1 (1962). In 1987, second division City travelled to Molineux in the second leg of the League Cup, needing to win by two clear goals. Wolves, then in the fourth division, and beaten City 2-1 at Maine Road in the first leg and the blues hadn’t won away from home for over a year. Goals by John Gidman and Andy Hinchcliffe gave City the 2-0 win they needed, which was their last win at Wolves until 2002.

City’s longest winning run at Wolves is three matches, achieved between March 1904 and January 1906. Their longest unbeaten run is five matches, when they got three wins and two draws between 1975 and 1981.

If you’re of a nervous disposition, click away now.

City’s longest losing streak is six matches. In December 1933, City lost 8-0, followed by 5-0, 4-3, 2-1, 3-1 and 1-0 defeats. However, they’re longest winless run is much longer. Between December 1933 and August 1962, City failed to win any of their twenty-one visits. The run started with an 8-0 loss and ended with an 8-1 defeat!

There have only been three goalless draws in this fixture, the last coming in November 1973. Overall, City have scored eighty-eight goals and conceded 139. City have kept just eight clean sheets, while failing to score on 217 occasions, so there’s usually goals in this fixture.

Speaking of goals, Wolves once went on a run of scoring in twenty-eight consecutive games, while City’s response was just eight. Times have changed though, and the faithful will be hoping for a second consecutive win at Molineux and take another step closer to the Premier League title.