2025-26 Premier League: Week One – Wolves vs Man City

Wolves meet Manchester City in their opening clash of the 2025-26 Premier League.

Wolves are looking to build upon their 16th-placed finish of last season, whilst Man City seek to mount a title challenge after they finished a distant third in a difficult campaign by their standards.

 

Team News

Wolves will be without Fabio Silva as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury, having suffered the issue whilst on loan at Las Palmas last season in Spain.

Leon Chiwone (ACL) and Yerson Mosquera (knee) remain sidelined.

Man City could have Rodri and Phil Foden available following respective groin and ankle injuries, although Rodri is unlikely to play the entire match.

Josko Gvardiol (knock) faces a late fitness check but Mateo Kovacic (Achilles), Claudio Echeverri (ankle), Savinho (unspecified) and Ederson (personal) will miss out.

 

When is Kick-Off?

Wolves host Man City at Molineux on Saturday 16 August at 5:30pm BST, live on Sky Sports in the UK.

Stat Attack

• Wolves have won one of their last ten meetings against Man City (W1, L9).
• Man City have won four of their last five visits to Wolves (W4, L1).
• Each of Wolves’ last two home games against Man City ended in 2-1 results, with both teams taking one win apiece.
• Wolves failed to win a single pre-season friendly this summer (D2, L4).
• Man City have kept clean sheets in their last four away games in the league (W2, D2), having won 2-0 at Everton and Fulham and drew 0-0 at Manchester United plus Southampton.

 

Prediction

Having lost two top players this summer in Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri, Wolves now face a headache in finding new ways to unlock creativity and goals whilst gelling their new signings with the regulars, which is going to take some time especially after a winless pre-season.

Man City meanwhile are in a new era without Kevin De Bruyne and Kyle Walker following their summer exits which is exciting for neutrals, yet the Club World Cup probably has helped City as they did much of their transfer business in the mini window beforehand which gave plenty of gelling time.

In fact I expect Man City to turn up and deliver a clinical display because they will have too much quality for Wolves to cope with, no matter how organised the hosts play defensively.

Prediction: Wolves 0-2 Man City