This was surely the game that gave Liverpool their first Premier League crown.
Twenty-four hours after Jurgen Klopp’s relentless team had crushed Leicester, reigning champions Manchester City suffered a defeat that leaves them 14 points behind the leaders and with Pep Guardiola’s hopes of a third consecutive title virtually extinguished.
Down to 10 men for all but the first 11 minutes after goalkeeper Ederson was sent off, Raheem Sterling’s double appeared to have helped City cut Liverpool’s lead to 11 points, only for goals from Adama Traore, Raul Jimenez and Matt Doherty to give Wolves a stunning victory. Yet those details tell only a fraction of the story of this remarkable match.
Wolves completed a crazy comeback to deny Manchester City the chance to move second with a winner from Matt Doherty
Raul Jimenez equalised for Wolves with eight minutes to go after great work from Adama Traore down the right wing
Wolves winger Traore (right) pulls a goal back for the hosts by rifling the ball from outside the area into the bottom corner
Traore celebrates giving Wolves a lifeline in the game as they searched for an equaliser despite having a man advantage
Wolves could face sanctions for the objects that were thrown onto the pitch after Sterling put City in front in the first half. Sterling had seen two penalties – the first given on VAR advice, the second a retake following encroachment – saved by Rui Patricio, but the second save fell into Sterling’s path and allowed him to score the opener.
Referee Martin Atkinson had a frantic evening and made the home fans furious throughout, but they will no longer care after seeing one of the most famous wins of their club’s recent history.
Wolves completed the league double over City to move fifth in the table, two points off a Champions League spot, and restricted the visitors to 38 per cent possession, the lowest for any side coached by Guardiola in his career.
Raheem Sterling doubles Manchester City’s lead as he runs through on goal and chips the ball over Rui Patricio
The Wolves goalkeeper went to ground early which allowed Sterling to chip the ball over the Portugal international
Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez were substituted by Guardiola, decisions that came back to haunt him.
Guardiola must revive his men for a home game against Sheffield United on Sunday but even though he will not admit it publicly, the City boss knows the game is up.
It would take an incredible turn of events for a side as accomplished as Liverpool to drop the number of points required, while there is a vulnerability about City that was absent in the last two seasons.
No wonder Guardiola was casting his mind back to his first campaign in England, when his team finished the season empty-handed and embarked on an expansive transfer campaign the following summer to put it right.
Aguero’s return to the starting XI after a five-week injury absence lasted only 13 minutes as he was sacrificed for substitute goalkeeper Claudio Bravo following Ederson’s dismissal.
Raheem Sterling of Manchester City celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 0-1 at Molineux on Friday evening
The City forward converted his second penalty after seeing his first saved before getting the chance to retake thanks to VAR
Rui Patricio saved Sterling’s first penalty and Conor Coady (16) ran in to clear the ball but were penalised for encroachment
With the City defence caught square, Diogo Jota ran on to Conor Coady’s lofted pass, only for Ederson to foul the Portuguese as he lifted the ball beyond him. When the red card followed, Guardiola chose to take off Aguero, with Sterling now alone up front in a 4-4-1. Guardiola later said that Aguero, included because Gabriel Jesus was ill, could not have lasted 90 minutes.
Controversy continued to run through the game. City were furious when no penalty was awarded after Mahrez went down under Leander Dendoncker’s challenge, only for Atkinson to overturn his decision after advice from VAR.
Sterling took the kick, and Rui Patricio saved to his right – but City had another VAR reprieve when replays indicated Coady had strayed into the area before Sterling struck the ball.
Sterling stepped up again and Patricio saved again but this time, the ball fell perfectly for Sterling to tap into an empty net.
As Sterling celebrated, a hip flask was launched on to the pitch from the South Bank containing the home fans. Rodri remonstrated with them and more missiles arrived, prompting the PA announcer to warn fans and mention the threat of prosecution.
Guardiola made another change at the start of the second half, introducing Eric Garcia for Mahrez and switching to a back five. Wolves started the second half well, though, and should have equalised when Jota steered the ball over the bar on the stretch.
The penalty was not given my Martin Atkinson initially but the decision went to VAR who ruled Riyad Mahrez was fouled
Diogo Jota ran from his own half in a bid to chase a ball over the top which he popped past Ederson (left) who took him out
Sterling showed him how it should be done moments later. The England forward was released by De Bruyne and dummied Patricio before lifting the ball beyond him. Guardiola celebrated on the touchline, perhaps believing the job was nearly done.
The home fans continued to rage until Traore started the turnaround.
The in-form winger had largely been kept quiet by Benjamin Mendy yet he kept pushing and had his reward when he beat Bravo with a low drive from 25 yards that cannoned in off a post.
Wolves were now pressing for the equaliser. Traore, Doherty and Jimenez all came close but it was a City howler that handed it to them.
Mendy had ample time to clear but he tried to shepherd the ball out of play. Traore outmuscled him, squared it and Jimenez did the rest from inside the six-yard box.
Then in the 89th minute, Doherty took a sublime back-heeled return pass from Jimenez and found Bravo’s bottom-right corner from the edge of the box. If Liverpool don’t win it from here, they may wonder if they ever will.
The Manchester City goalkeeper was shown a red card as a result due to denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity
Sergio Aguero (right) was sacrificed by City boss Pep Guardiola in order to bring on substitute goalkeeper Claudio Bravo
