Manchester City– Wolverhampton – All You Need to Know Before the Highly-Anticipated Clash in the Premier League Opener. 

The action kicks off as Manchester City face Wolverhampton in the opening round of the 2025/26 Premier League season, with the match set to take place at Molineux Stadium on Saturday, August 16. 

Manchester City will be aiming to redeem themselves after a disappointing campaign, particularly following their unfortunate exit from the FIFA Club World Cup at the hands of Al Hilal. 

The Citizens enter the new season bolstered by high-profile signings worth €36 million, most notably Rayan Cherki, Rayan Aït-Nouri, and Tijjani Reijnders, in hopes of making amends with their supporters after a trophyless season. Pep Guardiola’s men also seek a strong start away from home, having managed only eight away wins in the league last season. 

On the other hand, Vítor Pereira will be looking to cause an upset by securing all three points, capitalizing on home advantage and the support of the Wolves’ faithful to kick off the Premier League campaign in ideal fashion. 

Below, we take a look at everything you need to know – including Manchester City’s predicted lineup against Wolverhampton. 

Manchester City – Wolverhampton News

Wolves will be without Leon Chiwone (knee) and Fabio Silva (thigh), with the latter also attracting interest from several European clubs and expected to depart before the transfer window closes. On a positive note, Yerson Mosquera has recovered from his knee issue and is fit enough to feature from the bench.

Manager Vítor Pereira is likely to stick with his preferred 3-4-3 setup, with Matt Doherty, Emmanuel Agbadou, and Toti Gomes forming the defensive trio ahead of goalkeeper José Sá — whose save rate of 59.7% was the lowest among Premier League goalkeepers to play at least 10 matches last season. 

In midfield, Brazilian duo João Gomes and André are expected to anchor the center, providing energy and defensive stability, while Ki-Jana Hoever could be handed the right wing-back role following Nelson Semedo’s departure. 

Further forward, Pereira may hand full Premier League debuts to Jhon Arias and Fer Lopez, who are in contention to support central striker Jørgen Strand Larsen, the Norwegian forward who netted 14 league goals last term. 

Date and kick-off time for Manchester City vs Wolverhampton

 City takes place on Saturday 16 August 2025, with kick off at 17:30 (BST), 12:30 (EDT) & 9:30 (PDT).

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester City – Head-to-Head Record

Total Matches: 132. 

Wolves Wins: 50. 

Draws: 25. 

Manchester City Wins: 57. 

Manchester City Predicted XI vs Wolverhampton

For their opening Premier League match of the 2025/26 season, City are expected to field a strong lineup, led by Egyptian international Omar Marmoush:- 

Goalkeeper: James Trafford

Defenders: Rico Lewis – Abduqodir Khusanov – John Stones – Aït-Nouri

Midfielders: Nico González – Nico O’Reilly – Oscar Bobb – Rayan Cherki – Omar Marmoush

Forward: Erling Haaland. 

Wolverhampton Predicted XI vs Manchester City

 José Sá; Hoever, Doherty, Toti, Agbadou, Møller Wolfe; André, João Gomes, Bellegarde, Arias; Strand Larsen

Match Predictions: Manchester City vs Wolverhampton

Manchester City are expected to dominate proceedings thanks to their players’ experience, superior quality, and attacking strength.

 However, the determination of the hosts could pose some challenges, particularly in the second half through Wolves’ counter-attacks. 

Securing victory will be the main objective for both sides as they aim to kick off the season in the best possible way — especially for Pep Guardiola’s men.