What three Man City players did after Erling Haaland goal gives Pep Guardiola new transfer question

Manchester City were outstanding at Molineux as they beat Wolves 4-0 in a performance that banished many of the demons from last season.

Manchester City scored a brilliant third goal at Wolves, with James Trafford starting the move

Manchester City produced a statement performance on the opening weekend of the Premier League season, thrashing Wolves 4-0 at Molineux to lay out their title credentials.

After a relatively quiet first 34 minutes, City burst into life when Tijjani Reijnders drove through the Wolves midfield and found Rico Lewis with a clever pass. His low cross was finished by Erling Haaland.

Reijnders then turned scorer when he finished superbly on his left foot after Oscar Bobb led a swift counter attack. The Blues ended the game as a contest just after the hour mark, with James Trafford beginning a brilliant move that ended with Reijnders teeing up Haaland for his second of the game.

Rayan Cherki completed the scoring with an excellent finish on his right foot from 20 yards, having seen the ball come back to him after a clever flick. Here's the moments you may have missed.

Bobb is back

On the opening day a year ago, Oscar Bobb would have been a guaranteed starter, but for the broken leg he sustained in training in the week before the Premier League kick-off.

The Norwegian was the standout performer in pre-season in 2024 and looked set for a breakthrough campaign. Instead, it was one of frustration on the sidelines and then a series of setbacks as he worked his way back to full fitness.

With Savinho in situ and Rayan Cherki arriving, it looked like he had almost become the forgotten man when it came to wide options this summer. But his surprise inclusion at Wolves was the start he deserved a year ago.

He took his chance as well. His direct dribbling was a threat all afternoon and his assist was excellent, turning away smartly in midfield after winning the ball to spark a break and then picking the right pass to feed Reijnders for his goal.

It was noticeable that in the immediate aftermath of the goal, it was Bobb's name being sung by the away end. This season could yet be the campaign everyone expected last season to be.

Lewis' role

It was a surprise to see Rico Lewis' name on the teamsheet at Molineux given the interesting Nottingham Forest have in signing him and the possibility of that deal happening.

Right-back is a position up for grabs at City this season and it seemed Matheus Nunes had won it, but Lewis was in the side at Wolves, although in truth he was right-back in little more than name.

When City had the ball Lewis was in a holding midfield role, with John Stones covering on the right flank. Lewis was looking to get in central areas and get on the ball, happy to drift all the way over to the other half of the pitch to get possession and trying to control play.

It's that trait which makes him a perfect Guardiola player. He had a difficult season last term, but wasn't alone in that. This was a reminder that any exit would be a strange decision, even if Guardiola has made it clear that sales need to happen.

Trafford's positioning

Last week James Trafford said he wanted to be City's No. 1 for a decade. If Gianluigi Donnarumma signs this week, then the academy graduate might only be No. 1 for a week.

But if this was his chance to stake a claim then he can be pleased with his performance. He didn't have lots to do, but one area that stood out was his positioning and his ability to be quick off his line.

On a couple of occasions in the first half Wolves tried to exploit City's high line with balls over the top, only for Trafford to race out quickly and clear the danger. That is an area any City goalkeeper needs to excel in and the 22-year-old did just that.

There was also an excellent reflex save to deny Marshall Munetsi, who was offside anyway, although Trafford wasn't to know that and did what was required.

Perhaps his best contribution, given that Donnarumma's skill with his feet isn't a strong point, was the pass he played to Reijnders in the build-up to the brilliant third goal. Trafford celebrated enthustiacally when the ball hit the net and Ruben Dias, John Stones and Lewis all to their goalkeeper to salute his role in the move.

On the road again

Maybe it's a quirk of the fixture list that City have now been handed an away game to open the Premier League season for nine successive seasons, although you don't have to look far to find raised eyebrows around the Etihad at any decision the league makes around City.

The last time they opened a campaign at the Etihad was Guardiola's first game in charge, back in August 2016, but playing away hasn't hindered them. They had won seven of those previous eight away games, including one behind closed doors at Molineux in the 2020/21 season, and that run included impressive wins at Stamford Bridge and the Emirates. This was another to add to the list.