Man City vs Wolves LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction today

6 mins: Thiago Alcantara attempts to feed Andy Robertson in behind on the left side but Matty Cash manages to get back and intercept the ball for Villa.

They don’t keep it for long though as Liverpool recover possession and Jordan Henderson brings it down the inside right channel. He find Mane in the box who tries to force off a shot and wins a corner.

3 mins: Close! Liverpool turn over the ball and fly down the right side. Alexander-Arnold whips a cross into the box from the wide area but Matty Cash is there to head it away. Sadio Mane collects the loose ball and runs it back into the box. His floaty pass into the middle of the area is met by Marvelous Nakamba and he does get the ball clear this time.

Kick off: Aston Villa start the match and knock the ball back to their own goalkeeper. Liverpool press up them high up the pitch but they play out from the back with a pass out to the left wing. Jacob Ramsey threatens to break in behind but he’s clipped by Trent Alexander-Arnold and wins a free kick.

Steven Gerrard gets a loud round of applause from the crowd at Anfield as he follows his Aston Villa team out onto the pitch. Villa will jump inot the top 10 if they can win at Anfield today.

Following Manchester City’s win in the early kick off Liverpool need to match that results to cut the gap at the top back to just one point.

Jurgen Klopp spoke about Steven Gerrard’s return to Anfield today and said that Liverpool would be giving it their all to win the game:

Mo Salah scored in all three appearances against Aston Villa last season. He has been directly involved in 22 league goals this season, a Premier League record after 15 matches and has 13 goals and nine assists.

It was the type of game against mid-table opposition at the Etihad that Manchester City typically make light work of and this victory, earned by the 100th Premier League goal of Raheem Sterling’s career, will keep the defending champions at the top of the table this weekend, no matter what happens elsewhere. City were good value for their win, too, improving considerably in the second half.

Yet that improvement and the three points only came once Wolverhampton Wanderers had been reduced to 10 men by one of the most ridiculous, self-inflicted sendings-off you are likely to see this season for Raul Jimenez, while the winning goal only came from a debatable penalty that summed up an inconsistent, at times unauthoritative display by referee Jonathan Moss.

Overall, this was a forgettable affair, and only Jimenez’s bizarre red card warrants committing to memory. At the end of the first half, after already being cautioned for a questionable foul on Rodri, Jimenez refused to move out of the way for the subsequent free-kick then immediately intercepted it, inviting Moss to show him a second yellow and a red.

Wolves’ game plan up to that point had produced a dour, lifeless first half that was nevertheless frustrating City’s attempts to break them down and ultimately working in their favour. Jimenez’s sending off ripped that blueprint up and City proceeded to rip Wolves apart, eventually taking the lead through Sterling and dominating against 10-man opponents in a manner not reflected by the 1-0 scoreline.

Mark Critchley was at the Etihad Stadium:

Steven Gerrard is fully focused on Aston Villa’s attempts to win today’s clash at Anfield but says it always brings a smile to his face when he returns to his former club:

Aston Villa have won three of their four Premier League games under Steven Gerrard, as many as they had in 11 attempts under Dean Smith this season.

Only Southampton have lost more Premier League matches in 2021 than Villa’s tally of 19.

Liverpool have earned four consecutive Premier League victories and are the only side still unbeaten at home in the top flight this season. On top of that they have scored in 25 successive Premier League games.