Manchester City 3-0 Wolves: Gabriel Jesus double closes Liverpool lead to four points

Manchester City moved to within four points of Liverpool at the top of the Premier League with a 3-0 victory over 10-man Wolves on Monday Night Football.

Gabriel Jesus set the champions on their way with a close-range finish at the end of a trademark City counter inside 10 minutes.

It was backs against the wall for Wolves when Willy Boly was shown a straight red card for a lunge on Bernardo Silva on 19 minutes.

Jesus hammered home City's numerical advantage with his second from the penalty spot six minutes before half-time, before a Conor Coady own-goal 12 minutes from time compounded Wolves' misery.

City's fifth consecutive victory in all competitions sees them remain on the coattails of leaders Liverpool, while Wolves stay 11th, a point off the top half.

It took just 10 minutes for City to break the deadlock. A brilliant deep pass from Aymeric Laporte freed Leroy Sane down the left, and he put the opener on a plate for Jesus, who scored for the third game running.

Rui Patricio tipped a deflected David Silva shot over on 16 minutes, but Wolves' hopes of getting back into the game suffered a blow three minutes later when Boly received a straight red card for a challenge on Bernardo Silva.

The centre-back made contact with the ball before catching the Portuguese's ankle, but referee Craig Pawson showed no hesitation brandishing the red.

The 10 men of Wolves came within inches of finding an unlikely equaliser on 36 minutes when Raul Jimenez released Jonny down the left, but the full-back's cross-come-shot evaded Diogo Jota.

A penalty three minutes later, awarded after Ryan Bennett's challenge on Raheem Sterling, handed Jesus the chance to double his and City's tally, and the Brazilian made no mistake, sending Patricio the wrong way from 12 yards.

Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo brought Adama Traore on at half-time. Pep Guardiola responded by introducing Kevin de Bruyne, and the Belgium international nearly added a third for City was a rasping drive on 67 minutes.

Two minutes later, Sane slipped Sterling through on goal, but Patricio raced off his line to smother the England international. The Wolves goalkeeper was then on hand to tip De Bruyne's fierce near-post drive behind 13 minutes from time.

But from the resulting corner, Patricio was beaten for a third time as De Bruyne's teasing cross cannoned in off Coady to confirm a victory that keeps City breathing down Liverpool's necks.

The managers

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Pep Guardiola: "We were solid and didn't give away many chances so it is three points to keep the pressure on the team at the top of the table. Most teams come here and defend deep and it is not easy, but we did it well and we got a third to take us closer to Liverpool."

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Nuno Espirito Santo: "It was a very tough night. When we conceded the goal the game became very difficult, the red card and all these things. There was a moment where we tried but it became very hard. Playing against 11 is tough, with a man less it's harder."

Opta stats

• Manchester City have lost just one of their last 15 Premier League games at the Etihad (W13 D1 L1), a 2-3 defeat against Crystal Palace in December.
• Manchester City have lost none of the 20 Premier League games in which Gabriel Jesus has scored (W19 D1), winning each of the last 17.
• Since the start of last season, Man City's Leroy Sane has provided 23 Premier League assists, five more than any other player in that period.
• David Silva made his 267th Premier League appearance for Manchester City, overtaking Joe Hart (266) as City's all-time leading appearance maker in the competition.
• Willy Boly is the first Wolves player to be sent off in a Premier League game since Sebastien Bassong versus Arsenal in April 2012.
• Wolves failed to land a single shot on target in a Premier League game for the first time since May 2012 against Everton.

Man of the Match - Gabriel Jesus

The Brazilian has made a breath-taking start to 2019 and showed Wolves no mercy as his blistering form in front of goal continued. Jesus was in the right place to dispatch City's opener with just 10 minutes on the close and showed great composure to double his tally from the penalty spot. It means Jesus now has more goals than Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool after taking his tally to seven in just three games this calendar year.

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