Manchester City can keep pace with Premier League leaders Liverpool on Monday if they are able to overcome the visit of giant-killing Wolves at the Etihad Stadium.
Pep Guardiola's side need three points to remain firmly in the rearview mirror of Jurgen Klopp and their title rivals in the race to defend their crown.
But they face something of a banana skin with Nuno Espirito Santo's team, who have already turned over the Reds, along with Chelsea and Tottenham this season against the odds.
Will the Midlands club spring another surprise when they travel north? Or will the hosts cruise to an easy victory?
| Game | Manchester City vs Wolverhampton Wanderers |
| Date | Monday, January 14 |
| Time | 8:00pm GMT / 3:00pm ET |
| Stream (US) | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch
In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial).
New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| N/A | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, while it will be streamed on the Sky Go app.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Sky Sports Main Event/Sky Sports Premier League | Sky Go |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Manchester City squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Ederson, Muric, Grimshaw |
| Defenders | Danilo, Otamendi, Laporte, Zinchenko, Walker, Stones, Mangala |
| Midfielders | De Bruyne, Fernandinho, David Silva, Gundogan, Foden, Bernardo Silva, Mahrez, Delph |
| Forwards | Sterling, Sane, Jesus, Bolton |
Pep Guardiola still cannot call on Claudio Bravo at the back or Benjamin Mendy, while Vincent Kompany may miss out due to a lack of match fitness.
Gabriel Jesus will likely lead the forwards then with Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane playing as wide, roaming attackers.
Sergio Aguero, a question coming in, begins on the bench, as does Kevin De Bruyne.
Confirmed Manchester City staring XI: Ederson; Walker, Stones, Laporte, Danilo; Bernardo, Fernandinho, David Silva; Sterling, Sane; Jesus.
| Position | Wolves squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Rui Patricio, Ruddy, Norris |
| Defenders | Bennett, Coady, Boly, Dendoncker, Iorfa, Vinagre |
| Midfielders | Doherty, Moutinho, Neves, Jonny, Giles, Watt, Goncalves, Gibbs-White, Saiss |
| Forwards | Costa, Jota, Jimenez, Cavaleiro, Ashley-Seal, Bonatini, Traore |
Nuno Espirito Santo has a clean bill of health from which to pick his squad for this big clash, and having named a mostly full-strength side for the FA Cup win over Liverpool, is unlikely to tinker too much.
Matt Doherty has come back into the side to play out wide on the wings while Belgium international Leander Dendoncker has shifted inside.
Confirmed Wolves starting XI: Rui Patricio; Bennett, Coady, Boly; Doherty, Dendoncker, Neves, Moutinho, Jonny; Jota, Jimenez.
Betting & Match Odds
City are heavy favourites to prevail with the three points in this game and can be backed at 2/11 with bet365. Wolves are priced out at 16/1 while a draw is 7/1.
Match Preview
Getty Images
A victory over title rivals Liverpool and two more wins with a combined 16 goals netted has given Manchester City a perfect start to 2019.
But the Premier League champions still need to do the business if they hope to keep pace with the Reds, who reopened a seven-point lead at the top of the table with victory over Brighton on Saturday.
Pep Guardiola is missing a handful of faces for his latest match, but having been able to rotate his squad across FA Cup and Carabao Cup games means that he will have hopefully fresh legs to call upon.
The Sky Blues will be looking for a fully-fit Kevin De Bruyne to help provide the midfield spark once again to light up another incendiary performance at the Etihad Stadium, though it will be off the bench as he was not handed the start.
They face an unusual challenge in the shape of Wolves though, who, under Nuno Espirito Santo, have confounded expectations since their promotion last season.
The Portuguese’s side have suffered some soft losses upon their return to the top flight – but have also turned over some of the bigger names without breaking a sweat.
Wins over Chelsea and Tottenham in the league, plus their defeat of Liverpool in the FA Cup earlier this month, proves that they are not to be taken lightly as opponents.
With no injuries either, they are able to call upon their own talents, several of whom know how to find the net.
A leaky defence has been an issue this season though – they sit inside the top half of the table with a minus goal difference – which means City might find chances not too difficult to come by to put this game to bed early on.
