Manchester City secured a crucial 1-0 victory against Wolves at the Etihad Stadium on Friday, with Kevin De Bruyne scoring the winning goal to boost their Champions League qualification hopes, moving them to third place in the Premier League standings.
City have now won five consecutive matches in all competitions for only the second time this season, providing a significant lift to their European ambitions.
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The win gives City a four-point cushion over sixth-placed Nottingham Forest, who have a game in hand against Crystal Palace on Monday, while fourth-placed Newcastle and fifth-placed Chelsea also have matches in hand.
The match marked one of De Bruyne’s final appearances at the Etihad, as the 33-year-old Belgian midfielder will not receive a contract extension when his current deal expires at the end of the season.
“We are better than we were weeks ago. If we play like we did today, it is really good but we cannot relax. Winning in that way is good because it will make us realise that we still need to work,” Guardiola said.
De Bruyne’s goal was only his sixth of the season, reflecting his injury-plagued decline over the past two years that influenced Guardiola’s decision to release him.
“A lot of teammates have said that it’s sad I have to go, but that’s just how it goes sometimes in life. I don’t know what the future will be, but I know that I can still play here. I try to play as much good football as I can. I’m still enjoying it,” De Bruyne said.
“Just thank you. His contribution in the game against Crystal Palace when we were 2-0 down and he delivers, and today the goal again. I want the best for Kevin. It cannot be possible to have done these many years without him. He has been an incredible player but the situation is what it is. It’s almost impossible to replace this kind of player,” Guardiola said about De Bruyne.
Erling Haaland returned from his ankle injury but remained an unused substitute, surprising many observers.
Wolves entered the match with confidence after achieving six consecutive top-flight victories for the first time since 1970-71.
The visitors nearly took the lead when Rayan Ait-Nouri hit the post from close range, with his follow-up attempt cleared off the line by Josko Gvardiol.
City broke the deadlock in the 35th minute through a well-orchestrated move. Ilkay Gundogan passed to Jeremy Doku, who beat his marker and found De Bruyne unmarked in the Wolves area. The Belgian finished past goalkeeper Jose Sa.
Wolves continued to threaten in the second half, with Matheus Cunha striking the post from the edge of the area.
The victory keeps City on track to avoid missing Champions League qualification for the first time since 2010-11, though their four-year reign as English champions has already ended with Liverpool claiming the title.
City still have three matches remaining in their campaign and can also look forward to an FA Cup final against Crystal Palace.
