Omar Marmoush netted his first Premier League goal of the campaign as Manchester City ended a poor run of form with a comfortable victory over bottom club Wolves at the Etihad Stadium.
After failing to win any of their opening four league matches of 2026, Pep Guardiola opted to rotate his side, leaving Erling Haaland and Phil Foden on the bench.
By the time the pair were introduced in the second half, City had already done the damage.
Wolves set up in a deep defensive block, but City asserted control almost immediately.
New signing Marc Guéhi nearly marked his debut with a goal inside five minutes, only to see his header comfortably saved by José Sá.
Moments later, City made the breakthrough as Marmoush reacted quickest to Matheus Nunes’ cross to stab the ball home.
The hosts continued to threaten, with Semenyo forcing Sá into action before doubling City’s advantage just before half-time.
Bernardo Silva threaded a sharp pass into his path and the forward finished clinically from the edge of the box, later striking the crossbar after the interval.
Wolves rarely troubled City but came close late on when Yerson Mosquera’s flicked header clipped the bar.
The defeat leaves Rob Edwards’ side firmly rooted at the foot of the table, 14 points from safety and with just one league win all season.
Following disappointing defeats to Manchester United and Bodo/Glimt, City looked far more assured.
Marmoush repaid Guardiola’s faith with a decisive contribution, while recent signing Semenyo continued his impressive start since arriving from Bournemouth.
Guéhi also delivered a composed performance at the heart of defence to help secure a clean sheet.
The result temporarily cut City’s gap to leaders Arsenal to four points and extended their dominant record against Wolves.
Despite arriving in stronger recent form, Wolves offered little resistance and struggled to create meaningful chances.
A potential handball incident involving Mosquera was waved away after review, but it made little difference to the outcome.
With goals proving elusive and performances lacking cutting edge, Wolves’ prospects of survival appear increasingly bleak as the season enters its decisive phase.
