A one-sided forecast at the Etihad, but Wolves can still make life interesting
Manchester City welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers to the Etihad Stadium on 24/01/2026 with the lights on and expectations high for a home-side display. The fixture carries the heft of clear form lines and raw numbers: City sit second in the table with 43 points from 22 matches and bring an attacking profile that has produced 45 goals so far this season, while Wolves occupy the relegation zone in 20th with just eight points and a considerably thinner attacking return of 15 goals. The match will be overseen by referee Farai Hallam at a venue that normally magnifies City's relentless pressure, and recent head-to-head history underlines the gulf between these sides after a 0-4 result earlier in the campaign.
City’s recent rhythm has had hiccups — a Champions League loss to Bodø / Glimt on 20 January was a wake-up call — but domestically they remain potent. Their averages tell the story: more than 14 shots per game, 113 shots on target across the season and an attack profile that generates 107.5 overall attacks and over 60 dangerous attacks on average. That offensive machinery has translated into goals at home (27 scored) and relative solidity at the back (just eight conceded on home soil), producing nine clean sheets. Wolves, by contrast, live in defensive trouble with 41 goals conceded overall and only two clean sheets all season. Their attacking numbers are modest, averaging under nine shots per game and far fewer dangerous attacks, so breaking down City consistently would be an uphill battle.
Form, odds and what to expect
Form lines are stark. Manchester City’s latest sequence shows more wins than losses and a run of recent victories that should boost confidence at the Etihad, while Wolves arrive with mixed results, barely converting pressure into points. Bookmakers have reacted accordingly: the home win is priced at 1.23 (around an 81.3% implied probability), a draw at 6.25, and an away upset at 11.00. Given City’s superior shot volume, dangerous attacks, home scoring rate and the gulf in squad momentum, the market’s faith in a home victory is understandable.
This match also presents a reasonable chance of multiple goals. City’s fixtures have produced over 2.5 goals in a majority of their matches this season, and Wolves’ porous defence suggests they are vulnerable to conceding multiple times away from home. Still, both teams registering goals is a coin flip in the dataset, with BTTS around 50% each, so the clearest edge remains on the match-winner market.
Betting suggestion: Back Manchester City to win (1X2 market). The combination of home dominance, attacking volume, season-long goal difference and the market’s short odds aligned with the underlying numbers make the straight home bet the strongest play for this fixture.
For readers who want to refine staking or explore alternative markets, brush up on your approach with Soccer betting tips and the choice of markets, and if you’re managing stakes or reacting to emotion during a tense run, consider guidance on What does it mean the handicap market in sports betting?
