Wolves v MAN CITY: The PREVIEW – City’s Probable Team

Paddy Power, exclusive betting partners to Manchester City, are offering a £50 FREE BET to new customers. They have plenty of specials for City’s fixture against Wolves, with odds of 8/1 for Adam Johnson to score the last goal especially tempting. Click here to open an account and claim your FREE £50 bet!

Following on from a pair of convincing and confidence-building victories over West Brom and Norwich, this trip to Molineux to face a struggling Wolves side should, on paper, be another perfect opportunity for three points. Buoyed by scoring six last time out at Carrow Road, the Blues now head into this game with belief restored and in the knowledge that nothing less than a win will suffice if hopes of lifting the Premier League trophy are to be realised.

Of course, much depends on how Manchester United fare in their remaining games and all City fans will become Everton supporters for the day, but we have to concentrate on this encounter, one which has caused a few problems in previous seasons. The fixture last year at Molineux resulted in a home win, although form suggests this should be a relatively simple victory for the Blues.

With regards to team selection, except for the suspended Mario Balotelli, Roberto Mancini has his whole squad available, though I can’t imagine we will see too many changes from the team which swept aside Norwich. Micah Richards could return in place of Pablo Zabaleta, though the rest of the defence ought to remain unchanged.

Yaya Touré looks certain to be named in the starting eleven, having been on the bench against the Canaries, and the Ivorian could replace Nigel de Jong, with the front quartet of Samir Nasri, David Silva, Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tévez left to cause the Wolves backline havoc.

Here is the side Mancini could select:

If results go against Wolves this weekend, their relegation to the Championship will be confirmed, so they will no doubt put up a strong fight against us. Their form recently has been atrocious, with a point to Sunderland last week bringing to a halt a run of seven consecutive defeats and they have the worst home record in the Premier League. In Matt Jarvis, they have a player of individual quality, someone who we will have to guard against, but they seem to lack confidence and belief as a squad.

Referee: Lee Probert – It was scheduled to be Lee Mason but he has, for the second time in three matches, been removed from officiating duties on a City game. Probert has been in charge of just the sole fixture involving the Blues this season and that was our 1-0 victory in the Carling Cup against Arsenal.

Prediction: Wolves 0 – 3 MAN CITY – Wolves have caused us trouble in the past, but with both sides in the form that they are in, few would bet against the Blues. Goals to be scored by Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tévez and David Silva.

Follow @viewfromablue