Pep Guardiola's decision to drop Erling Haaland to the bench paid dividends as Manchester City cruised to a 2-0 victory over Wolves, keeping the pressure on Premier League leaders Arsenal. Goals from Omar Marmoush and Antoine Semenyo ensured City secured their first league win of 2026 without needing their star striker.
Marmoush, making his first league start since August, opened the scoring inside six minutes after collecting Matheus Nunes' cross and firing past Jose Sa. Semenyo doubled the lead on the stroke of half-time, running onto Bernardo Silva's pass and finishing clinically into the bottom corner.
The match also marked the debut of new £30m signing Marc Guehi, who joined from Crystal Palace. Guardiola had made several changes following back-to-back defeats, with Guehi's calming influence needed in a defence that had conceded five goals in those losses.
Wolves, despite being unbeaten in their previous five games across all competitions, struggled to create meaningful chances. A first-half VAR check for handball went in their favour, but they were unable to capitalise. Haaland came off the bench with less than 20 minutes remaining, but the game was already won.
City's victory moves them to within three points of Arsenal, who face Chelsea next. Guardiola will hope this win marks a turning point in their title challenge after a difficult start to 2026.
