Molineux began with togetherness and belief, and for half an hour Wolves matched Manchester City stride for stride. Vítor Pereira’s side pressed high in phases, disrupted the visitors’ rhythm, and carved the game’s first big roar when Marshall Munetsi headed in—only for the flag to rise. Moments later, City punished a slip and then a miscue, and suddenly the league’s most unforgiving finishers were two up. The 0–4 stings, but it is not the whole story.

There was courage in Wolves’ shape and clarity in the approach. Jørgen Strand Larsen twice found promising positions after the interval, Rayan Aït-Nouri flashed over, and debutants embraced the tempo rather than shrinking from it. City’s edge in both boxes proved decisive—Erling Haaland’s brace and a late Rayan Cherki strike sealed a harsh scoreline—but the performance contained elements that can travel into more representative fixtures.

A game balanced on details: from nearly ahead to suddenly behind

At 0–0, Wolves had the moment they wanted. A set-piece was attacked with conviction, Munetsi rose and powered in, and for a beat Molineux believed. The assistant’s flag cut the celebration short, and within minutes fine margins flipped the afternoon. City’s opener arrived from a slick move sparked by Tijjani Reijnders’ surge and a square ball that left Haaland with a tap-in.

Before the stadium could reset, another turnover proved costly and Reijnders passed into the far corner for 0–2. Wolves will dwell on the timing as much as the concessions: two lapses against elite opposition can turn a contest on its head. Yet in the phases either side of those goals, Wolves’ press bit and their structure limited City to half-chances—evidence that the plan can work when the execution is cleaner.

Pressing with courage, crafting moments

Pereira’s front line stepped to City’s build-up with intent, forcing hurried passes and inviting turnovers that fed the crowd. João Gomes and the midfield screen snapped into duels, while the back five compressed space to deny simple entries. Early in the second half, that posture created looks: Strand Larsen side-footed narrowly wide and later thrashed another effort under pressure.

Aït-Nouri’s willingness to attack second balls added another route. The wing-backs’ ambition, though, came with risk, and City’s counters exposed gaps whenever the press was half a beat late. Against opponents with Haaland’s timing and Reijnders’ weight of pass, those gaps are punished. The takeaway is not to retreat but to refine—arrivals together, distances tighter, and decisions crisper in midfield.

Lessons in both boxes: clinical City, learning Wolves

City’s third summed up the gap. A long distribution was controlled cleanly, a quick combination opened the seam, and Reijnders had the poise to pull back for Haaland to drill low. Wolves created nearlys; City created definites. Without Matheus Cunha’s carry-and-finish threat, the home side looked for alternative end-product. Strand Larsen’s movement offered promise, but the final touch eluded them on the day.

This is where the next steps live: sharpening set-piece returns, adding a fraction more conviction to first contacts in the box, and turning those press wins into shots on target. The defensive unit, meanwhile, showed resilience in open play; it was transitions and small technical errors that dragged the game away.

New faces, honest effort: a platform to build from

David Møller Wolfe handled a demanding flank with determination on his first start, while Fer Lopez and Jhon Arias stepped in from the bench and went looking for the ball. Nobody hid. Pereira’s quadruple change in the final quarter-hour kept the team on the front foot, a signal that Wolves will seek to play with initiative rather than react.

Across the spine, the work-rate never dipped. Even as the score stretched, the distances stayed honest and the duels stayed live. That spirit matters over 38 games, particularly while combinations settle and roles crystallise.

An afternoon framed by remembrance and respect

The pre-match tribute to Diogo Jota gave Molineux a shared pulse before kick-off: the montage on the big screens, the tifo, the song that turned tribute into chorus. After the whistle, City’s senior players stood with Wolves to applaud the South Bank—a small gesture felt widely in the stands.

Within that emotion, the team’s endeavour matched the occasion. Defeat does not erase that connection between players and supporters; if anything, it underlined it. The season is long, and that bond will be fuel.

Where Wolves go next

Next up is a trip to Bournemouth, a fixture that will speak more clearly to Wolves’ immediate ceiling. The Carabao Cup tie with West Ham follows, a chance to turn minutes into momentum for new arrivals and sharpen patterns in the final third.

Keep the press brave, trim the errors, add bite to the good positions. Do that, and this opening day can be filed under harsh lesson rather than early warning.