Manchester City vs Wolves predictions and betting tips – Guardiola’s side must recover

It has been a difficult start to 2026 for Manchester City, who have lost ground in both the Premier League and the Champions League. If they are not careful, Pep Guardiola’s side could soon be out of the title race.

A home game against Wolverhampton Wanderers would usually be negotiated with a minimum of fuss, but will that be the case on Sunday?

• Manchester City to bounce back -2 handicap – 6/4 with BetVictor
• Both teams to score – 5/6 with Tote
• Antoine Semenyo to score any time – 23/20 with SBK

Manchester City vs Wolverhampton Wanderers odds

Find the latest Manchester City vs Wolves betting odds here. All odds are provided by our recommended football bookmakers and are subject to change.

Manchester City vs Wolves predictions

Manchester City are not yet in crisis, but they are in danger of throwing away all their recent hard work.

A few weeks back, City were applying significant pressure to Arsenal in the Premier League title race, having also established themselves as one of the favourites for a top-eight finish in the Champions League.

However, things have not gone to plan for Pep Guardiola and his players since the turn of the year.

The downturn began with a 0-0 draw with Sunderland on New Year’s Day. In isolation, that was far from a disastrous result. The Black Cats remain unbeaten at the Stadium of Light this term, and Arsenal also dropped two points at Sunderland’s home. 

The problem is, City did not bounce back with a win. Instead, they drew with Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion, before losing to Manchester United last weekend. Their performance at Old Trafford was, for the most part, flat and insipid.

It is not just in the Premier League that City are struggling. On Tuesday, they suffered a shock 3-1 defeat by Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League.

Their Norwegian opponents play at a stadium which holds just over 8,000 fans. This was an embarrassing result for City., who must now rely on other results going their way to qualify directly for the round of 16.

It is vital that City get back on track as soon as possible. In the Premier League, a seven-point deficit to Arsenal is by no means fatal with 16 matches remaining, but Guardiola will not want that gap to get any larger.

With Arsenal not in action until Sunday, when they face a potentially tricky test against a revitalised Manchester United, City have the chance to move within four points of top spot. They must not pass it up.

Wolves have improved of late. They finally picked up their first win of the campaign on January 3, while Rob Edwards’s side have not lost any of their last four matches.

It will surely prove to be a case of too little, too late, however. Wolves remain 14 points adrift of safety. We are approaching the territory where every game, including this one, feels like a must-win.

Wolves will keep fighting until their fate is mathematically sealed, but they are clear underdogs on Saturday despite City’s recent dip in form.

Manchester City vs Wolves betting tips

Manchester City will be looking to get back on track when they host Wolves this weekend.

City to bounce back

Manchester City have not got going in 2026. Even when they were winning matches at the back end of last year, they were not always convincing.

City must ensure that Bodo/Glimt defeat on Tuesday was the nadir. They will come out fighting against Wolves, determined to right the wrongs of the last few days.

City are a wounded animal and that arguably makes them a more dangerous proposition for Wolves.

If City establish a lead on Saturday, they are unlikely to sit on it. A handsome victory would do them the world of good, which is why the handicap market is appealing. 

Back Manchester City -2 handicap at 6/4 with BetVictor

Goals at both ends

Edwards has succeeded in making Wolves tougher to play against, while the Premier League’s bottom side have also been more effective in attack in recent weeks.

The emergence of academy product Mateus Mane has given Wolves more zest and purpose in advanced areas of the pitch.

Other players have noticeably grown in confidence since Wolves finally ended their winless drought.

Manchester City have been porous at the back in their last few outings. Even with Marc Guehi in line to start for the hosts, Wolves should have some success in the final third.

Tip both teams to score at 5/6 with Tote

Semenyo can find net

Antoine Semenyo has required little bedding-in time at Manchester City.

Guardiola has a tendency to hold back certain new arrivals until they learn his methods, but Semenyo has already established himself as a regular starter.

Only Erling Haaland and Igor Thiago have outscored the Ghana international in the Premier League this season, and Semenyo has already scored twice for City in other competitions. 

The forward can break his league duck for his new employers against Wolves this weekend.

Go for Antoine Semenyo to score any time at 23/20 with SBK

Manchester City vs Wolves predicted lineups

• Manchester City expected lineup: Donnarumma; Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, O’Reilly; Gonzalez, Silva; Semenyo, Foden, Doku; Haaland.
• Wolves expected lineup: Sa; Mosquera, S. Bueno, Krejci; Tchatchoua, Andre, Mane, J. Gomes, H. Bueno; Hwang, Strand Larsen.

Where to watch Manchester City vs Wolves

• Location: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England.
• Date and time: Saturday 24th January, 3pm.
• How to watch: Not being shown live in the UK.

More Premier League predictions

We have plenty more Premier League predictions and picks – find our latest betting tips from expert punters in our match preview overview.

About the author

Greg Lea

Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.

Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootball

Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chase their losses
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
• Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
• GambleAware – www.gambleaware.org

Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.

For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.