Manchester City secured a controversial 2-1 victory against Wolves, thanks to a last-minute goal from John Stones that was validated after a VAR review, propelling the champions to the top of the Premier League on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola’s team found themselves trailing early in the first half after Jorgen Strand Larsen scored a surprise opener for Wolves.
However, Josko Gvardiol equalized before halftime, and with just seconds left in stoppage time, Stones headed home to clinch a dramatic sixth win in eight league matches this season.
Wolves, sitting at the bottom of the table, argued that Stones’ goal should have been ruled out for offside and interference by Bernardo Silva on goalkeeper Jose Sa.
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Yet, referee Chris Kavanagh dismissed their protests after reviewing the play on the pitchside monitor.
With this win, City now leads Liverpool by two points; Liverpool can regain the top spot if they defeat Chelsea later on Sunday.
In pursuit of their fifth consecutive English title, Guardiola’s side has set a club record with an unbeaten run of 31 league matches, dating back to their loss to Aston Villa in December.
Historically, only six teams in English top-flight history have gone more than 30 games without defeat, with Liverpool’s 44-game streak from 2019 to 2020 being the most recent.
City remains unbeaten in 11 games across all competitions this season, having avenged their previous 2-1 defeat to Wolves.
The champions were jolted early when Nelson Semedo’s precise low cross found Strand Larsen, who evaded Stones to score from close range just seven minutes in.
While Erling Haaland often takes the spotlight as Norway’s top striker, this time it was his international teammate who shone. It marked the fifth instance in seven league games this season that City fell behind.
City nearly equalized immediately, with Ilkay Gundogan’s dummy creating space for Silva, whose low shot was saved by Sa.
Guardiola’s side looked unusually vulnerable defensively, almost conceding again when Semedo broke through, only to be denied by Ederson.
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Frustration was evident on Guardiola’s face as he paced the touchline. Wolves fans mocked Savinho after a missed chance, but Gvardiol silenced the crowd in the 33rd minute with a stunning curled shot from the edge of the area that found the top corner.
This marked Gvardiol’s fifth goal in seven away league games and ignited a period of City pressure that pinned Wolves back until halftime.
Haaland, who had scored eight goals in his previous four league matches against Wolves, was largely absent this time, missing a key chance early in the second half.
Ruben Dias also tried his luck with a long-range shot, but it was saved by Sa.
Wolves almost regained the lead with a close effort from Matheus Cunha, but City kept pressing.
After a series of attempts, Stones finally found the winner by heading in from a corner. Although the goal was initially disallowed, VAR prompted Kavanagh to check the monitor, leading to an overturn of the decision.
Guardiola and his players celebrated with relief as they secured the crucial three points.