Even for the best of teams, playing down a man for 80 minutes is a most difficult task. Thanks to an idiotic Ederson red card, Manchester City suffered to a 3-2 defeat to Wolverhampton on Friday.
Despite two first-half goals from Raheem Sterling after City went down to 10 men, Wolves rallied with three in the second half to beat City, further denting Pep Guardiola’s title defense.
Liverpool now leads City by 14 points with a match in hand and it’s hard to imagine the Reds blowing this hefty lead considering they’ve dropped just two points all season. (Leicester City is 13 points back but just lost 4-0 to Liverpool.)
The Ederson red card arrived just 12 minutes into the match. The City keeper rushed out to a ball he was never going to reach and took out Diogo Jota, coming nowhere close to the ball.
#LigaPremierTD: ¡El @ManCity se queda con 10 en los primeros minutos!
Así fue la falta de Ederson que le valió una roja directa. ¿Qué opinan?#Wolverhampton 0-0 #ManCity pic.twitter.com/B6cTRfJKUb— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) December 27, 2019
The Ederson red card meant Sergio Aguero’s first start of December was cut short, as the Argentine striker was pulled for backup keeper Claudio Bravo.
Despite going down to 10 men, City was a danger going forward, because, you know, it’s still City. Riyad Mahrez, with the help of VAR, won a penalty kick in the 21st minute. VAR aided City again when Raheem Sterling’s first attempt was saved but Conor Coady was adjudged to have encroached into the box. Sterling’s second attempt was also saved, but only back to the England striker, who slotted home the rebound.
SAVED pic.twitter.com/ti37cOU7Mg
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) December 27, 2019
SAVED AGAIN BUT STERLING SCORES THE REBOUND pic.twitter.com/k3qOcQgSW5
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) December 27, 2019
Same Pep, same pic.twitter.com/OuSAJ3jsaR
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) December 27, 2019
The Ederson red card and use of VAR meant seven minutes of added time in the first half.
Then, in the 50th minute (of the second half, which means it was really the 57th minute of game time), Kevin De Bruyne played a gorgeous first-time through ball to Sterling to put the winger in on goal. Sterling raced toward goal before providing a marvelous chipped finish to make it 2-0.
10 men? No worries, Raheem Sterling doubles Manchester City's lead! pic.twitter.com/Z3T3cjc52k
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) December 27, 2019
Wolves players spent the next four minutes throwing themselves to the floor in attempts to con the referees into giving them a penalty kick. But the home fans were revitalized by a smashing long-range effort from Adama Traoré to pull Wolves within 2-1 in the 55th minute.
#LigaPremierTD: ¡Los @Wolves marcan el del descuento!
Derechazo de Traoré y al fondo. Mira la jugada #Wolverhampton 1-2 #ManCity pic.twitter.com/gSnurj8ygP— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) December 27, 2019
Wolves pulled level through Mexico striker Raúl Jiménez in the 82nd minute.
Traoré muscled Benjamin Mendy off the ball and sent a quick cross toward Jiménez, who was clinical with his finish.
#LigaPremierTD: ¡Goooooool hecho en México! @Raul_Jimenez9, en la recta final del partido, marca su octavo gol con @Wolves y empata el partido #Wolverhampton 2-2 #ManCity pic.twitter.com/W44EvEwnjo
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) December 27, 2019
Wolverhampton claimed the unlikely win through Matthew Doherty in the 89th minute.
The Wolves defender played a one-two with Jiménez before firing past a helpless Bravo for a stunning winner.
#LigaPremierTD: Al 89', ¡Gooooool de @Wolves!
Asistencia de @Raul_Jimenez9 y Doherty remata para darle la vuelta al marcador #Wolverhampton 3-2 #ManCity pic.twitter.com/c6JZ1MZM2M— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) December 27, 2019
Sterling clipped the top of the crossbar with a free kick in the 93rd minute, but Wolves held on for the win, becoming the second side ever to do the league double over a Pep Guardiola-coached team.
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