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Pep Guardiola has decided to drop Nathan Ake from Manchester City's starting line-up to face Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League, leaving fans stunned.
Manchester City are set to face Wolves in their 20th Premier League match of the season today, January 22. With Arsenal facing Manchester United later, they have a chance to reduce the gap with the table-toppers.
The Cityzens will also be determined to build on their 4-2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur last week. They have had a tough time going on a winning streak recently, having won only three of their past six Premier League matches.
With less than an hour to go until kick-off, Manchester City have announced their starting line-up for the match. Guardiola has notably made two changes to the team that defeated Spurs in their last game.
Kevin De Bruyne was named in the first XI today, with Julian Alvarez dropping to the bench. Aymeric Laporte has also taken Ake's place in the team against Wolves this afternoon.
Guardiola is seemingly confident that his preferred starting line-up can get the job done against the Wanderers. However, not all fans are on board with his decision to drop Ake from the team. One fan wrote on Twitter:
"Best player Nathan Ake benched."
Here are some more reactions to Guardiola's decision to drop Ake against Wolves:
Ake, who joined Manchester City from AFC Bournemouth in 2020, has been a regular for the Cityzens this season. He has made 13 appearances for them in the Premier League so far, helping them keep four clean sheets in the process.
It now remains to be seen if Guardiola's decision to drop the Netherlands international will backfire. It is worth noting that Laporte's last league appearance came in November.
How are Wolves lining up against Manchester City?
Wolves notably go into the match against Manchester City on the back of a 1-0 win against West Ham United in their last league match. They will be hopeful of causing an upset over the defending champions today.
Julen Lopetegui has made three changes to the team that beat the Hammers last time out. Matheus Cunha has been relegated to the bench, with Raul Jimenez taking his place up front.
Adama Traore has also been named in Wolves' starting line-up in place of Daniel Podence. Meanwhile, Mario Lemina, who was signed from OGC Nice a few days ago, has been handed his first start for the club.
