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Wolves vs. Manchester City live score: Kevin de Bruyne scores four goals to put his team on verge of title
The Belgian international had a hat trick before the half-hour mark
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1 min read
The Premier League title may very well end up being Manchester City's, and on Wednesday they had Kevin de Bruyne to thank. The Belgian superstar scored four goals for the club in their emphatic 5-1 win at Wolves. The victory gives them a three-point lead over Liverpool with two games to go, and due to their superior goal differential, they likely only need one more win to lift the trophy come season's end.
De Bruyne scored three of his goals before the half-hour mark, producing a brilliant display that involved attentive follow-ups, smart runs into the box and even a blast from outside the box that was a thing of beauty. He's the sixth player to score four goals in a Premier League game since 2018, and the last one actually occurred less than a month ago, when City teammate Gabriel Jesus scored four against Watford. Raheem Sterling was responsible for City's fifth goal of the evening.
This win positions City beautifully to earn back-to-back Premier League titles and answers Liverpool's 2-1 win at Aston Villa on Tuesday.
Here's what to know:
Manchester City's title scenarios are ...
Alright, so here is what needs to happen for City to officially top Liverpool for the league title. City will win the title on Tuesday if they win at West Ham on Sunday and the Reds fail to beat Southampton on Tuesday. They can also win it with a draw at West Ham as long as Liverpool loses to Southampton.
But, to make it simpler, City should be able to win the title by winning just one of their last two games. They have a goal differential that is seven goals better than Liverpool's, so just winning one more game would mean the Reds can't pass them with points, and it's highly unlikely that they can make up the massive goal difference, resulting in City winning the title. Essentially, if City win one more game, expect them to have locked up the league crown by the end of the season.
Kevin De Bruyne was out of this world
That was absolutely lethal. De Bruyne scored four goals on an xG of 0.80, far outstripping what was already the second highest xG he's had for City in his Premier League career. He actually had an xG of 0.93 against Manchester United back in March, scoring two goals off of it.
De Bruyne put four of his six shots on target, marking the third league game this campaign where he's hit the target four times.
He connected brilliantly with Bernardo Silva on his first, he was also distributor throughout, and his third goal, was something else. Take a look:
City probably didn't need his dominance on this day, but what he did was leave no doubt as to who are the likely Premier League champions this season. City have not lost a league game this season where de Bruyne has scored, winning eight of the 10 games in which he's found the back of the net.
This was a performance that many will remember for years to come.
Wolves' defense struggles down the stretch
Wolves' defense entered this game conceding an average of 0.97 goals per game. Their defense, numbers wise, is better than West Ham's, Manchester United's, Tottenham's, Arsenal's and more. But down the stretch, they've been poor, and their goals against average after this one is now up to 1.08 as they were absolutely smothered by City.
There was a stretch during the first half of the season where Wolves went 15 games without conceding multiple goals. In a nine-game stretch from Nov. 20 to Jan. 9, they conceded just two goals, and those were one each to Liverpool and Man City.
But in their last three games they've conceded 10 goals, they've conceded in seven straight, and they haven't won any of their last five games. The attack has gone quiet as well, and a chance at European places may have diminished.
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Almost a fifth
City nearly get their fifth as Foden rocks a left-footed shot off the left post. Nearly.
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4-1! Who else!? De Bruyne!!!
4-1 to City, and de Bruyne has his fourth of the game. Just a legendary performance!
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48' Goal Sterling! Oh, but the flag goes up!
Sterling is sent through, and he finishes with a decent shot past Jose Sa, but he's called offside. And it's the right call. Clearly past the last defender.
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Second half underway!
The second half has begun, and City are looking to build on their two-goal lead. One more goal for City and it's probably over ... if not over already.
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City in control at the break
A breathtaking hat trick from KDB has City in full control. Wolves need a massive effort in attack in the second half to have a chance, but it looks like City will cruise to the victory here. Just a prolific performance from the Belgian.
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KDB did the Haaland celebration
After his third goal, De Bruyne ran towards the City fans and did Haaland's signature celebration, where he is meditating. City announced on Tuesday that they had reached a deal with Borussia Dortmund to sign the superstar striker. Can the Premier League adopt a mercy rule for next season? Having KDB and Haaland just isn't fair.
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Penalty claim from Wolves
VAR checks a challenge from Zinchenko in the box, but they carry on as nothing is given. A corner to Wolves that they do nothing with.
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Video: De Bruyne's hat trick
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It's De Bruyne again! 24-minute hat trick!
Well goodness me. This is astonishing. De Bruyne has just taken this game over, scoring his third goal before the half-hour mark. A rocket shot from the top of the box that nobody was saving. Incredible!
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Video: Wolves' equalizer
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Video: De Bruyne's first goal
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16' City back in the lead!
It's De Bruyne, of course! A loose ball in the box falls right to the Belgian, and he finishes with a pacey finish! It hits the goalkeepers leg on the way in, finding the top of the goal! 2-1!
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Wolves are level!
That didn't take long! Wolves go on the counter, and Dendoncker scores from the heart of the box! It's a great job on the counter from Raul Jimenez and Neto combining well, with the latter setting up Dendoncker perfectly in the middle of the box!
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An impressive start
It's been so good from City. Sharp in the early going as Bernardo Silva tries his luck but misses high. Just an intensity in this City side, knowing what is ahead of them, which they hope is Premier League glory.
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7' Goal City!
Fast start for the favorites! A picture-perfect goal for the visitors! It's Kevin de Bruyne, who finishes inside the box with a low left-footed shot that finds the bottom-right corner! It was a give-and-go with Bernardo Silva, and it was executed to perfection! 1-0 to the Premier League leaders!
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Underway!
The action has begun! Intense atmosphere as Wolves look to slay a giant and boost their chances of European qualification! City cannot afford to slip up here and 90 crazy minutes await!
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Starting XIs
City: Ederson; Zinchenko, Laporte, Fernandinho, Cancelo; Gundogan, Rodri; Silva, De Bruyne, Sterling; Foden
Wolves: Sa; Boly, Coady, Dendoncker; Castro, Moutinho, Neves, Ait-Nouri; Chiquinho, Neto; Jimenez.
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Team news for City
Kyle Walker, John Stones, and Ruben Dias are all out for the rest of this season. Nathan Ake has a sprained ankle, leaving Aymeric Laporte as the only fit central defender which should see Fernandinho partner him. CJ Egan-Riley and Luke Mbete could see minutes. Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva should return after being rested.
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Team notes for Wolves
Via Jonathan Johnson
Daniel Podence will miss out, although he is expected to be back before the end of this season. Maximilian Kilman and Nelson Semedo both remain out while Romain Saiss could pay for a disastrous outing against Chelsea. Chiquinho and Trincao could come in with Pedro Neto expected to drop out.
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Viewing information
Date: Wednesday, May 11 | Time: 3:15 p.m. ET
Location: Molineux -- Wolverhampton, England
TV: USA Network and NBC Universo | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Odds: Wolves +1200; Draw +450; City -400 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
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Pressure is on
All of the pressure is on City now after Liverpool escaped Villa. The Reds needed to come from behind to secure the victory as Sadio Mane headed home the winner in the second half. But, still, City control their own destiny. Anything short of a win will feel like a loss. And while the Wolves defense can be difficult to break down, City should win this one comfortably in the end.
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Welcome!
Welcome in to the CBS Sports live blog of the Premier League! It's Manchester City at Wolves today, and kickoff is set for 3:15 p.m. ET. It's a huge match in the title race after City saw their three-point lead reduced to just goal differential with Liverpool's 2-1 win at Aston Villa on Tuesday. City need a win to rebuild that lead or they welcome the Reds back into the title race.
I'm Roger Gonzalez, and I'll be providing updates throughout.
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