Manchester City 0-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers: 5 Talking Points | Premier League 2019-20

Wolverhampton Wanderers visited the Etihad Stadium, to take on the defending champions Manchester City on matchday 8 of the Premier League. In a shocking result, the defending champions fell to a defeat against Wolves. They are now the first and only side to win away at Manchester City while keeping a clean sheet after Pep Guardiola took over.

Wolves took the lead in the 80th minute of the game after a goalless first half. Adama Traore scored the goal after Raul Jimenez's run to set him up. 10 minutes later, Traore added another goal to close the game out for good.

With this result, Manchester City has now lost two games and shared points in one - thus dropping eight points along the way. Liverpool, who holds a 100% win record this season, is now comfortably sailing ahead of their rivals on top of the table.

Here are five talking points from the game.

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#5 Pep Guardiola's gamble with the squad a bit too much?

Manchester City must look into the reasons warranting Sergio Aguero's inclusion in the 11

It is tough to understand the intentions of Pep Guardiola at times. At Norwich, he left Kevin de Bruyne on the bench for 55 minutes before introducing him. In the same game, he let Raheem Sterling complete the 90 minutes and took Bernardo Silva out despite the latter being the more effective threat.

Today again, he messed up with his lineup. Pep went with a 4-2-3-1 with Sergio Aguero upfront. With all due respect, Sergio Aguero was sub-standard against Norwich in the first league game City lost. Also, he was poor against Dinamo Zagreb in the mid-week game where he ended up losing sevn ground duels out of 10. Sure enough, even today he as poor with his touches and duels - losing three out of five duels.

Pep also decided to play Joao Cancelo on the left-side instead of Oleksandr Zinchenko - another strange decision and the Portuguese international ended up giving the ball away for the Wolves' first goal.

The decision which seemed utterly dubious was leaving Bernardo Silva on the bench. Kevin de Bruyne not being on the pitch takes a hit on creativity and Bernardo is an option who should be preferred ahead of Ilkay Gundogan, David Silva, or Riyad Mahrez. Yet, Pep left him on the bench despite him not playing the full minutes in every game.

It surely came back to haunt City. They were improving when Bernardo was subbed in and began to get on the ball but it was too little too late to break apart a Wolves team who were into their groove in the defence by then.

Pep has a great squad at disposal but he seems to be throwing random cards on the pitch just because everyone could play possession football.

#4 Kevin de Bruyne's absence hurts City

Bernardo Silva's substitution came in too late to upset Wolves' organization in the defence

Kevin de Bruyne has been vital for Manchester City whenever he has stepped on the pitch this season. The Belgian had a rampant start to the season and his form never seemed to be running out. However, an injury kept de Bruyne out against Wolves and it could be told that he wasn't on the pitch just by the ball movement.

Manchester City was slow in moving the ball from one side to the other and loose in their passing exchanges. They were causing no problems at all to Wolves who were holding their structure strong with a 2-3-5 defensive shape. Most of Manchester City's attempts didn't make Rui Patricio even blink an eye.

The creation through the wings was bleak with weak crosses and cutbacks all dealt easily by Wolves' compact defence. Sergio Aguero was smothered up by the defenders and given a tough time all day long. The moment any City midfielder touched the ball around the Wolves box, he would be swarmed up by the players.

This poor creativity on City's part let Wolves recover the ball and play out from back to front with ease. After all, there was nothing much to worry about until Bernardo Silva sent in some warning shots which came to an end when Adama Traore struck the first goal.

#3 Aymeric Laporte missed in a defensively disorganized performance

Patrick Cutrone's physicality too much for Otamendi to deal with

If all over the place needed an illustration, City's defence today would be the perfect specimen to look up to. That's what it was. A defence very disorganized and with almost zero communication amongst themselves. Raul Jimenez and Patrick Cutrone completely wrecked the centre-half duo of Nicolas Otamendi and Fernandinho.

The strike partnership outdid the centre back partners for pace and physicality. Cutrone was confident to take Otamendi on and it didn't even take much effort.

Manchester City themselves gifted Wolves several chances to take the lead and the scoreline could have been reading 3-0 at the half time itself. Kyle Walker misplaced two passes to Otamendi and the Argentine was switched off on both occasions.

Joao Cancelo was good in the attacking end but he ended up losing the ball towards the build-up to the first Wolves goal. Again, Rodri Hernandez and Fernandinho were reeling to backtrack and Otamendi just slid into the tackle (and missed) rather than backtrack and try to act as an extra body to block the ball.

Aymeric Laporte is individually a very good defender and also a good organizer of his defensive line. His presence was and will be missed in the team until he comes back.

#2 Raul Jimenez fired warning shots in the first half, hit the kill shot in the second half

Raul Jimenez wreaked havoc in City's defensive end

Raul Jimenez and Patrick Cutrone were brilliant in against Manchester City. Jimenez gave enough warning shots for Manchester City to tighten the cover on him in the first half. He latched onto the loose pass by Kyle Walker and turned away from Nicolas Otamendi towards goal. His shot was miraculously blocked by Fernandinho.

A few moments later, Jimenez picked up another misplaced pass and dribbled away from Fernandinho, this time failing to get a shot away and left appealing for a penalty. Jimenez ended up missing two golden chances to get the goal in the first half.

But he did make up for it in the second half. He executed the brilliant dribble which dropped Otamendi on the floor as he went on running and found Adama Traore inside the box for the first Wolves goal. He created the second goal for Traore too which helped in closing the deal out.

Jimenez ended the game with - two assists, three key passes, 4/5 dribbles completed, 6/12 ground duels won. Manchester City should have known better than to leave Jimenez out unmarked after he had them at the ropes in the first half.

#1 Manchester City hand Liverpool a crucial lead at the top

Manchester City have handed Liverpool an 8 point lead

Even if Manchester City keeps winning their games from now on, it would still take Liverpool to lose at least three games before they can reclaim top spot. Last season's biggest gap between Manchester City and Liverpool was seven points - in December. The gap is now at eight points and it is not such an easy lead to cut into.

It has to be said that it is more of Manchester's poor games that has gifted Liverpool this lead which they could hold as it is. Liverpool hasn't been very convincing in the league either but it is the never say die attitude that keeps them going. Even yesterday, they turned an obvious draw into a victory against Leicester City.

Manchester City is plagued by injuries but the injury isn't an excuse for not performing or giving their all. The key players are all underperforming. Sterling and Aguero were average today and so was the defence.

Manchester City's didn't look like a team who have won 198 points in two seasons in the league and it isn't the first time that this is the case.

They were lucky to win at Everton as Pep Guardiola admitted. It is still early in the league but they better pull their socks up right now because it is already late as things look.