Wolves vs Manchester City Premier League 2025/26 match preview and predicted lineups

Read the Wolves vs Manchester City Premier League 2025/26 match preview and predicted lineups as City stars like Rodri and Kovacic are set to miss the match.

Rodri will miss the first match and will return against Spurs on 28 August. Image | mancity.com

The first matchday of the 2025/26 Premier League season features an exciting clash as Manchester City visits Molineux Stadium to take on Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, August 16, 2025. Pep Guardiola’s ambitious Manchester City aims to reclaim their dominance in English football, while Wolves will be hoping for a positive start after a challenging previous season.

Match Details

Match: Wolves vs Manchester City

Date: 16 August 2025

Time: 10 pm IST

Where to watch the match?

Football fans from India can watch the match on JioHotstar, accessible via OTTplay Premium. Moreover, they can enjoy the match LIVE on Star Sports Network TV Channels as well.

Read Also: How can you watch Premier League+La Liga+Bundesliga+UCL altogether on OTTplay?

Wolves vs Manchester City: H2H stats

Wolves and Manchester City have faced each other 21 times so far. Wolves have only won 4 times while Manchester City triumphed 14 times. 3 matches eneded as a draw.

Read Also: Liverpool vs AFC Bournemouth: Predicted lineups and team news

Why is this an important match?

Manchester City ended the 2024/25 season in third place, following a rollercoaster campaign and missing out on any major trophies for the first time in Guardiola's tenure since 2016-17. Determined to bounce back strongly, City have undergone a summer overhaul, saying goodbye to key players including Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker, and Jack Grealish.

In their place, several promising new signings have arrived, with the likes of Rayan Ait-Nouri, Rayan Cherki, Tijjani Reijnders, and James Trafford aiming to inject fresh energy and quality into the squad.

On the other side, Wolverhampton Wanderers finished 16th in the league last season, narrowly avoiding relegation. They enter this season with hopes of improvement, backed by some new additions and a squad that is still finding its rhythm. Wolves carry the weight of recent poor results against Manchester City, having lost nine of their last ten league matches against the Citizens.

Team News: Manchester City

Manchester City face a few injury concerns heading into the match. Mateo Kovacic remains sidelined with a calfinjury and is set to be out until early October. Rodri is also ruled out due to a groin/hip injury, expected to return on 28 August against Spurs. The availability of Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol are in doubts as well. Claudio Echeverri is still recovering and won’t feature.

Team News: Wolves

Jorgen Strand Larsen will be the key player to watch out for as the tall Norwegian striker can score from anywhere in the box. Along with him, John Arias, the new signing from Fluminense, is a capable striker and can play at any position in the front.

However, Wolves will miss Enso Gonzalez and Leon Chiwome due to injuries and they are not available for selection. Wolfie and Andre will be key midfielder for the home side ahead of their big clash against City.

Predicted Lineups

Manchester City (4-3-3)

Ederson, M. Nunes, R. Dias, J. Gvardiol, R. A. Nouri, T. Reijnders, İ. Gündoğan, J. Doku, R. Cherki, O. Marmoush, E. Haaland

Wolves (4-2-3-1)

J. Sá, M. Doherty, E. Agbadou, T. Gomes, K. Hoever, André, J. Gomes, D. M. Wolfe, J. Arias, J. S. Larsen, M. Munetsi

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