A lone goal from Kevin De Bruyne was enough for Manchester City to defeat Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 this Friday in their Premier League match. With this result, Pep Guardiola’s side takes another step closer to securing a spot in the next Champions League, though the match left mixed feelings due to a lackluster second half.

Just five days after booking a place in the FA Cup final, the Sky Blues returned to action at the Etihad Stadium to continue their league campaign. While the three points were vital, the performance was uneven — an energetic first half was followed by a flat, uninspired second half with little attacking intent.

City edge past Wolves with narrow win

The match started with high energy. Wolves, with no real pressure in the standings, nearly struck first through a counter involving Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Munetsi, but a poor final pass wasted a clear opportunity. From that point on, City took control, especially around the 35th minute, when their tempo increased and they began to find space.

The match-winning goal came from a midfield recovery by Bernardo Silva, who passed to De Bruyne. The Belgian playmaker launched a quick transition with Ilkay Gündogan, who carried the ball forward and found Jeremy Doku on the wing. Doku beat two defenders with a feint and floated in a bouncing cross that De Bruyne converted with a late run into the box.

From then on, the game fizzled out. In the second half, neither Manchester City looked to extend their lead nor did Wolves show much interest in fighting back. Only a surprise effort from Matheus Cunha, which struck the post, briefly threatened to change the outcome.

The closing minutes summed up the tone of the game — aimless clearances and time-wasting from the home side, while the visitors seemed resigned to the result. Even José Sá, the Wolves' goalkeeper, ventured forward for a last-minute corner, but it came to nothing.

With the win, Manchester City moves up to 64 points and solidifies their hold on third place, two ahead of Newcastle United and four clear of both Chelsea and Nottingham Forest, who are still chasing European qualification.