Manchester City vs Wolves: Liam Keen and Nathan Judah match preview
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00:00Hello, I'm Nathan Judo, I'm here with Wolves Reporter, Mr Liam Keane. Liam, forget about the Maldives, it is glorious at Compton today.
00:16I'm glad to have you back, I'm fed up doing these little phone videos like this.
00:20Good, little iPhone videos.
00:22I can't see anything because the sun's in my face, but finally we're back as professional again.
00:25We are. Excited to be reunited with you, excited to be reunited with Mr Vitor Pereira, who is on good form,
00:32as you would be I guess when you've won six on the bounce, going for seven.
00:36Slightly different opposition I guess to Leicester City in terms of Manchester City, you've got a little ladybug on you.
00:42You've got a flicks away unlucky. It's gone.
00:45It lands on my head.
00:47Anyway, in terms of the game, he's pretty confident as you'd expect him to be, but it is a difficult game isn't it?
00:54Yeah, of course it is.
00:56City haven't been anywhere near their best this season, but they're still up there fighting for a Champions League spot,
01:00and they're still a very very good side, who I'm sure might have a familiar face at right back for them as well.
01:06Which will be interesting.
01:08Boo! Rat!
01:09There will be lots of that.
01:11Snake!
01:12Regardless, and you know, Vitor was very complimentary of...
01:16She's interrupting our video, here we go.
01:18Video getting interrupted.
01:19Go on, on camera.
01:20You want to go on camera?
01:21Come on, you've got to get on now.
01:23You can't possibly name who that was.
01:27No, no, no.
01:28It's not a player, it's not a player.
01:29One of the Wolves staff.
01:30And Vitor was very complimentary of Pep Guardiola, rightly so, because he's a top, top manager.
01:38And they've got top, top players, so going there to the Etihad, the Wolves have had a couple of good results there in a few years.
01:43It's been a long time ago.
01:44It's been a long time ago.
01:45Exactly.
01:46And it's often a tough place to go.
01:47So, Wolves have to be at their very, very best if they're going to extend this winning route.
01:50Yeah.
01:51But look, Vitor talks about the mentality.
01:53The mentality is great at this moment in time.
01:54The players have got confidence.
01:56And you look at the most recent performances in Manchester City, and it's been abject.
02:00It's been awful.
02:01You know, Haaland's torn them to shreds, but they haven't really come out with any intent.
02:05It's just been defending, defending, defending, and just letting them.
02:08And of course they're going to score eventually.
02:10He said that he likened the game to Liverpool, didn't he?
02:13And going away to Anfield.
02:14And that first half versus the second half, and that's very important.
02:17And you'll see more of that second half.
02:19And if we give them too much respect, like they did in that first half at Liverpool,
02:22then they're going to be in for some more punishment.
02:24Yeah, I think it was the perfect game for him to reference, really.
02:26Because that first half at Anfield, Wolves were very lacklustre.
02:30Liverpool weren't really at their best and just sauntered through the game.
02:33Yeah.
02:34Second half, Wolves came out and had a little bit of steveness behind them.
02:37A bit of bottle.
02:38They fought Liverpool and they battled and they solenced the Anfield crowd.
02:41That's something they can do.
02:43Liverpool didn't have a shot in the whole half.
02:44Exactly.
02:45That's something they can do at the Etihad.
02:47They can put this team under pressure in their own way.
02:50They don't have to necessarily dominate the ball.
02:52They don't necessarily have to create all of the chances.
02:55They have to be solid in defence, firstly.
02:57Whether Haaland starts or not, probably bench, we've guessed.
02:59But that remains to be seen.
03:01That will obviously impact it.
03:02But they've got quality players.
03:04They're sort of Wolves.
03:05Absolutely.
03:06We said this on the podcast this morning.
03:07And informed players.
03:08Wolves are informed, they're confident and they're full of energy at the moment.
03:10If they can play similar to what they did in that second half at Anfield,
03:13in their own style and their own way, they've got every chance of getting a result.
03:17And look, they've got to be smart.
03:19Of course they do.
03:20But this is a team that are free-flowing.
03:22They can play.
03:23They can enjoy their football.
03:24They can go there and have a go.
03:25You wouldn't expect them to just sit back and defend, would you?
03:28No.
03:29And I don't think they will.
03:30I, again, have to be smart with it.
03:31Yeah.
03:32I'm sure the transitions will be very, very key in this game.
03:34You're going to have to have the likes of Cunyar, the likes of Larsson Menezi,
03:37probably holding the ball up.
03:38And the wing-backs will be very, very key to this.
03:40And how adventurous and ambitious Wolves are going to be.
03:42But that transition is going to be really key.
03:44You're going to need Semedo and Aitnori putting in a lot, a lot of yards in this game.
03:49Yeah, absolutely.
03:50Defensively and offensively.
03:51And, look, when you've got people like Rodrigo Gomez to come off the bench as well,
03:54then, you know, you don't mind them, maybe, I don't know, Aitnori or even Semedo,
03:58coming off a 60 or 70, if they're putting an absolute shifting,
04:00then you've got an energy alive wire so we can get up and down that line and score goals as well,
04:04like you did against Leicester.
04:05Absolutely.
04:06We're both big fans of Rodders.
04:08I don't think he'll start the game.
04:10No.
04:11No, by any means.
04:12But we spoke about him there in the embargoed section, which we will have more on.
04:15But he's a player that I think for the future, and that can be in these four games as well as next season,
04:20has got a really promising future at Wolves.
04:23Particularly in this system, he's found a home in this system, which is wing-back.
04:26Both sides, versatile.
04:28You know, it gives him the best opportunity to get minutes.
04:31And Jürgenstrand Larsson was again on the score sheet.
04:34One more goal and he will better Raoul's record of his first season.
04:37Yes.
04:38Raoul got 13 in his debut season at Wolves in the league, that is.
04:41He's already equalled that with a goal against Leicester, Larsson has.
04:45One more will beat that.
04:46Of course, Raoul's best season in terms of Premier League goals was his second season, which was 17.
04:49And Kunja's only two off that as well, though, with 15.
04:52So, both of them could do themselves a little bit of history and a little bit, well, extra confidence with a record
04:59against a player, I know it was a few seasons ago now, but was a talismanic forward for Leicester.
05:04So, I think in particular for Larsson, because we know how good Kunja is, particularly for Larsson, if he can better it, I think the narrative, the optics
05:12around him going into next season will be even more promising than they already are.
05:16And for him personally, I think that would be a major achievement.
05:19In terms of team news, how are we looking?
05:21Hopefully, pretty good.
05:22So, going into this, we were only aware of Johnston having an ongoing issue.
05:26Lima was back training last week with an ongoing issue.
05:29And that was all we were expecting.
05:31Now, Vito was very coy.
05:32He said we've got a couple of small issues, but nothing serious.
05:35And he's going to see how the players are in training today.
05:37So, it wouldn't surprise me if we get to the game tomorrow
05:40and there's one or two players that he's been unwilling to reveal there.
05:43I've got a couple of knocks.
05:44Yeah.
05:45But by the sounds of how optimistic he was and how he phrased it,
05:49I suspect it will probably be the same 11.
05:51And if not, minimal changes.
05:53Score prediction.
05:54We've done the podcast this morning.
05:55We have.
05:56That should be coming out this afternoon very quickly.
05:57I've got to edit it here.
05:58But the video will be out before the podcast.
06:00So, give me the scoreline, please.
06:02I'll stick with what I said in the poddy.
06:04Wolves' winning run comes to an end.
06:06Boo.
06:07But they are unbeaten in eight.
06:08Ooh.
06:09You'd love to see it.
06:10One-one draw.
06:11I'm going to say the same.
06:12But a couple more goals in this game.
06:14I'm going to say Desmond.
06:15It's Manchester City 2.
06:16It's Wolverhampton Wanderers 2.
06:18For all the build-up on this one.
06:20Make sure you log on to ExpressingStar.com.
06:21We shall see you tomorrow night at the Etihad.
06:23Etihad?
06:24Etihad?
06:25I couldn't say it earlier either.
06:26Friday Night Football, baby.
06:27See you there.