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The wait is over as the opening round of fixtures from the Premier League 2025/26 season lands this weekend. Manchester City fans see their favourites in action, with Pep Guardiola's men taking on Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux in the Saturday early evening kick-off. The visitors are hot favourites with major bookmakers to secure all three points, but will the cash-rich club deliver?
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Fans packed inside the stadium to welcome back the hosts, knowing their team doesn't have a great record in this fixture. Could they catch their big-name opponents cold, scoring a huge upset at the first time of asking? Anything is possible in the Premier League, and Vitor Pereira's men know that, as the underdogs, they have little to lose and everything to gain.
Flashscore's betting expert, Frank Monkhouse, guides you through the form of Wolves and City, analyses the head-to-head, compares the best betting markets, and settles on his final predictions. With three picks advised, there's something for everyone and a wager that'll suit your budget and make the match even more interesting.
Wolves vs Man City tips
Over 2.5 goals @ 8/13 (bet365)
Both score and Man City win @ 2/1 (bet365)
Haaland headed shot on target @ 7/4 (bet365)
Odds courtesy of bet365. Correct at the time of publication and subject to change.
Locals must improve
Wolverhampton Wanderers enter a brand new season full of promise. Fans of the team from Molineux would love to see the club target a top-ten finish and push hard for a spot in European competition. There's no reason why Wolves can't finish in the top half of the division, but to stand any chance of achieving that, they must show marked improvement on last season when they finished down in 16th place. That's just two spots higher than the relegation zone.
The stats from last term showed Wolves collected only a dozen wins from 38 attempts, scoring 54 goals, but conceding 69. On closer inspection, we see Wanderers scored only four goals fewer than Aston Villa in sixth, but leaked more than Spurs, who finished beneath them in the pecking order. Everyone connected to the home dressing room knows improving that backline is key to climbing the ladder.
Given the home team's flair in attack and fragility in defence, we're taking over 2.5 goals as our first bet in the West Midlands. That approach would've secured you a profit in six of the previous seven meetings, including a 2-1 win for Man City here last October. Wolves took the lead that day, but a 90th-minute goal from John Stones turned three points into none.
Tip: Over 2.5 goals @ 8/13 (bet365)
Bet explanation: If this match produces three or more goals for both teams combined, you'll secure a return on your wager.
Road to recovery starts here
Manchester City kick off the 2025/26 EPL campaign desperate to banish the thoughts of last term. The team from the Etihad suffered a nightmare season, with Guardiola's side losing the Premier League title to Liverpool and their hard-earned Champions League crown to PSG. They finished third in the table, trailing the champions by 13 points. Football fans can't wait to see how the great club will respond.
Man City is working through its fair share of off-field problems, but was last season a minor bump in the road or a sign of things to come? Has the bubble burst at the Etihad? We don't yet have the answers to those questions, but followers will have a better idea of what to expect at full-time. A big win would be the perfect response to growing criticism, showing there's plenty of fight left in the squad, while a loss would ramp up the pressure.
The visitors were eliminated from the Club World Cup by Al Hilal, losing 4-3 after extra time. They returned to winning ways by beating Palermo 3-0 in a recent friendly, and I predict another positive result on Saturday. You can follow my pick on Man City to win and both teams to score, which would've scored you a profit in two of their last three meetings with Wolves.
Tip: Man City win and both score @ 2/1 (bet365)
Bet explanation: You need Man City to win the game, but Wolves to score.
Take the bet365 bet boost
The marketing and trading teams at bet365 join forces to celebrate the return of Premier League football with several eye-catching promotions and price boosts. One enhancement that caught my eye when researching Wolves vs Man City concerned the great Erling Haaland. Man City fans know that if their team is to challenge this season, they need their star striker back to his goalscoring best. He'll be tasked with dragging the team back into a title race.
Both new and existing bet365 customers enjoy several betting markets on Haaland, including the latest bet boost. Bet on Haaland to have at least one headed shot on target at Molineux and you'll enjoy odds of 7/4, bugded from 13/8. With this market, it doesn't matter if he scores with the header or doesn't have another touch in the match. As long as he puts one header on target, you'll enjoy the profits.
The most appealing aspect of this price boost is that there's no time limit on it. If Haaland plants a header in the corner to make it 0-1 inside the opening 60 seconds or a 90th-minute header is comfortably saved, the result is the same: you get the returns. You'll find the Haaland betting special on the bet365 website and app.
Tip: Haaland headed shot on target @ 7/4 (bet365)
Bet explanation: If Haaland has one or more headed shots on target, you get 7/4.
Wolves vs Man City odds
The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change.
Discover the Best Betting Bonuses
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The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change.