Controversial John Stones header hands Man City late win at Wolves

By Ian Whittell, at Molineux
JOHN Stones’ controversial header five minutes into added time maintained Manchester City’s unbeaten start to the season although it was far from a vintage performance from Pep Guardiola’s side.
They needed a superb equaliser from Josko Gvardiol, via a long-range strike, before the England defender struck in the closing seconds from a Phil Foden corner.
He powered in from six yards, although referee Chris Kavanagh needed a VAR check and look at the monitor before deciding Bernardo Silva had not interfered with the Wolves keeper while in an offside position.
Wolves had stunned City by racing into a seventh minute lead that exposed the champions’ habit of being caught out on the break and by early goals.
A long ball from Santiago Bueno sent Nelson Semedo away down the right and, with City’s defenders failing to fall back in sufficient numbers, his perfect cross was turned into an open goal by Jorgen Strand Larsen.
It was the third time in the last seven games that City have found themselves 1-0 down inside the opening 10 minutes and it might have made for a different contest had Semedo scored when played clean through after 18 minutes.
But Ederson blocked that chance and City dominated before equalising on 33 minutes when Gvardiol found space on the edge of the area and curled in a brilliant shot.
Recalled Wolves keeper Jose Sa made superb diving saves from Bernardo Silva and Savinho before the break, and Ruben Dias after it.
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Report appears above. Cheers.
#WOLMCI – 95′ VAR OVERTURNStones’ goal was disallowed on-field due to Bernardo Silva being in an offside position and in the goalkeeper’s line of vision. The VAR deemed Bernardo Silva wasn’t in the line of vision and had no impact on the goalkeeper and recommended an on-field… pic.twitter.com/4o1AHBWyzb
To clear up some confusion from the TV coverage.John Stones’ goal was disallowed for offside *on the field.*The VAR review was to overturn that and *allow* the goal. The referee has to make this decision at the monitor as it’s a subjective call. #WOLMCI
“I understand why Wolves would feel aggrieved in this particular moment” Micah Richards on if Man City’s second should have stood 🗣 pic.twitter.com/8qtwFKHlUK
A player in an offside position at the moment the ball is played or touched* by a team-mate is only penalised on becoming involved in active play by:
Goal awarded, ruled out by the assistant, VAR recommended that ref go to the screen, goal reinstated. 
Daniel Sturridge: “That is the role I used to take and Bernardo has done it really well. When the actual header is made, he is away from the keeper but he was [touching] him before. The keeper just wants him off him. So that is interfering, in my view.”
A sickener for Wolves. They battled hard all the way but allowed City to have 18 corners. One of them was going to pay out sooner or later.
Wolves have resisted manfully but those corners were mounting up and up. Eventually Stones has bulleted one in. But is this going to be ruled out for offside? No! It stands.
Bernardo is the man there who is touching the keeper. Is he interfering with play? Not in the view of the ref, no.
A big decision late in the game at Molineux.John Stones’ 90+5′ winner for Man City was given, after a VAR review for offside on Bernardo Silva. #WOLMCI #BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/qhMdFbU2Eh
You can see why Wolves are livid.
Basically Bernardo pushed the keeper, then moved away from him. When the header came in, sure, he wasn’t interfering – but surely pushing the goalie a second previously is interfering with play, and indeed interfering with the opponent.
Nunes with a brilliant tackle, then hares forward and gets on the end of the ball from Haaland. That wins a corner. Soon another. And a third corner. And another!
Grealish the man making it happen. Five minutes added. His good work wins a corner.
Grealish himself! That’s a nice shot but Sa does well.
Good work from Grealish ends with Bernardo firing into the side netting.
An old fashioned goalmouth scramble, ending in Jack Grealish hitting the target, albeit with a scuffed effort.
Kovacic off, Matheus Nunes on. The former Wolves man gets a generous hand on his return. Of course he doesn’t. He’s getting dogs.
Not quite happening for MCFC.
Grealish with a cut back, Foden shoots and it hits… Lewis.
City get to the byline. Cross. Jose Sa-Frances Ha looks like he has got it but fumbles. 
Grealish on too now – and booed for his Villa connections – but City have created less this half than last. Whatever happens in the last 10, this has been a good game plan by O’Neil, well executed by his players.
 
Goncalo Guedes comes on to replace the scorer, Larsen.
Pep has seen enough from Savinho. Here is Grealish.
Bernardo with a run, lays it off, Savinho has a shot but over. I make that four shots for the player but only one on target. His fellow winger, Doku, shot three times without hitting the target.
Can we all agree that, as high-impact subs go, being able to bring Phil Foden off your bench after an hour is a good ‘un? Mind you, it is taking an age to find a break to bring him on. 
Forbs, badly missing an ‘E’ but there it is, makes an immediate impact and produces a handy cross.
Changes: Foden for Doku.
Forbs for Cunha.
 
Gomes and Kovacic tangling at the freekick, a bizarre sort of bullfight emerges as they get down very low and try to cuddle each other around the midriff. Possibly Greco-Roman themed.  Anyhow, the ref chooses to book the Wolves guy but not the City one and I have to say I sympathise with the reaction of Gomes. That seemed a clear six-of-one situ.
After all that, the freekick itself amounts to little.
Kovacic is fouled right on the edge of the box by Lemina. Tiny touch but down he goes. Kovacic looks like a hard bloke to me.
Football Stats That Look Like Australian Cricket Scores, No. 1 In An Occasional Series. pic.twitter.com/wA3rNteoOO
Cunha breaks and charges forward and fires low and wide.
Haaland is being well marshalled – I guess this is the other part of the “let them have the ball out wide” scheme – and looking frustrated. 
The second half begins just like the first ended, with City hogging possession, but only after a warm round of applause for both sets of supporters when former City academy kid Tommy Doyle was brought on as a Wolves sub. Haaland just miskicked a difficult half-chance from a Savinho cross and this looks like being a long 45 for the home fans.
Reuben Diaz with a low effort from distance. Corner.
Haaland has been quiet. Tries a backheel now. Nah.
Savinho and Jeremy Doku have switched sides.
Well wings, I mean.
Not playing for Wolves.
The second half begins in much the same way as the first ended. City on the front foot and winning a corner. 
Wolves, looking tired and leggy at the end of the exam, are much the happier to hear that half-time whistle. They must be pretty pleased with the scoreline and their counter attacking play has been excellent. I feel that the City wingers, Doku and Savinho, are seeing way too much of the ball out wide but I guess it’s a deliberate tactical decision to give it them out wide and try to pack the centre. 
Stat on Sky that City had completed 218 (?) passes in the final third, against five from Wolves in that first 45!
Superb close control and skill from a variety of City forwards, cage football stuff as they keep it in the Wolves area. Eventually Savinho gets the shot in. Well stopped by Jose Sa-Frances Ha in the Wolves goal. Excellent low save.
Doku wins a corner.
Lewis, eel-like, very nearly squeezes through. 
The below is an interesting point.
City have now scored 25% (7/28) of the long-range goals in the PL this season but please, do go on about how Guardiola teams only score from cutbacks and how much you like remembering Laurent Robert
But Wolves are looking handy on the break. One counter now is ended by Savinho’s foul on the breaking Cunha, for which he is booked. And now another counter is snuffed out by some solid defensive positioning on the part of Stones.
Doku is being left unmarked out there on the left and he’s getting the ball again and again. That’s going to be a losing bet sooner or later.
Wolves dozy, allowing City to take a short corner. Played in but Savinho blooters the shot a mile over the bar.
Woof! That is a cracker. Doku has it down the left, he slips it inside to Gvardiol. He takes a touch, he looks up, and he curls a glorious shot into the top far corner. Wow. A real beaut. Wolves probably gave him half a second too long to measure it up, but nothing you can do against a shot of that quality.
I really enjoy Doku. Direct, tough, gets involved. Useful cross here now but Dawson reads it well and stabs the ball away just before Erling H can tuck it home.
As usual, Pep Guardiola is kicking every ball with his team out there. When the ball just ran out of play, he put in a mock “tackle” on Matheus Cunha and good-naturedly ruffled the Wolves man’s hair. Gary O’Neil, meanwhile, has had his tactics spot on so far and his team look a threat on the break all the time. Every time City turn the ball over deep in Wolves territory, O’Neil is waving furiously on the touchline, like a manic orchestra conductor, getting his players to support Strand Larsen up front.
Gundogan with a corner.
Ball reaches Savinho over on the right and he has a hilarious air-shot that delights the Black Country faithful.
Gvardiol with nice cross to the far post.
Semedo and Ait-Nouri double team Savinho to stop City making progress from a corner. It’s Semedo who gets the yellow.
Wolves so close to making it two! Semedo on the break, he races down the centre, it’s going to be one-on-one with the keeper… but Gvaridol has hared back, excellent commitment, and he just does enough to make it hard for Semedo, who cannot finish.
More maroon for me. Maybe raspberry? Basically they’ve come dressed as Hearts, and that’s not acceptable in my book.
Wolves doing well but do look fragile.
Long since given up trying to work out Man City kit selection – or why they are wearing all purple today when they could quite happily have gone for the traditional sky blue. Regardless, the Purples were well on top before Wolves beat their press to score the opener and have had a couple of great chances in the four minutes since.
Toti gets the ball caught under his feet, Savinho tackles him, and Toti feels he has no option other than to rugby tackle the City man on the edge of the box.
Savinho himself takes the freekick, poorly. Straight into the wall. Doku gets a chance with the follow up but can do no better.
I refer you to my previous comment. City finds themselves 1-0 down inside the opening 10 minutes for the third time in the last seven league games. Not a good look either, the way Strand Larsen was unmarked to tap in. 
Jose Sa with a terrific save, that’ll settle him (and colleagues). Goalie has been a problem position for Wolves.
City were looking to hit back right away and Sa made a superb stop to deny Bernardo Silva.
Brilliant! Classic counterpunch goal. Wolves have hardly had a kick, it’s played out by Bueno to Semedo on the flank, chalk on his boots, and he then produces a wonderful cross. That’s a peach, it’s perfectly delivered for Jorgen Strand Larsen to tap it in. 
City are all over Wolves. Wolves have everyone back. Doku now. No way through. But City come again. Doku in a good move, but shoots wide.
Wolves defend the corner well enough, and Semedo hooks clear.
Haaland picks the ball up in a dangerous inside left position but there’s not a lot on so he recycles it. City keep the move alive and win a corner.
City, for some reason clad in maroon, are pressing and snapping at the Wolves back line as the hosts try to play out.
Wolves huddle. O’Neil looks pensive on the bench.
Killie have taken the lead over Rangers.
City, meanwhile, “drop” Grealish, Foden and Akanji to the bench … and bring in Stones, Savinho and Doku – not a bad exchange. Haaland has not scored in two league games, which constitutes a “crisis” for him these days but the main issue for Pep Guardiola remains coping for today, and the rest of the season, without Rodri. Looks like Mateo Kovacic will continue in that midfield holding role, assisted by Rico Lewis filling in from full-back. With two orthodox wingers, City look bound to create chances; might just be a question of how good their finishing – and defending – is today. City not kept a clean sheet since opening day and have conceded first in their last three home games – all of which they won. 
A drenched Molineux is slowly filling up and there is a feeling that this might be a big chance for City in the early-season jostling at the top of the table, given Arsenal’s unexpected demise last night. Wolves have switched to a back five of the first time this season – and you can hardly blame under-pressure manager Gary O’Neil if you glance at the form book. Wolves are also without number one keeper Sam Johnstone due to a minor injury, which means Jose Sa is recalled. Might be an anxious afternoon for Wolves fans. 
“Morale is fine. Today is tough but we have memories of playing them last season. We have real faith we can turn it around. We are looking forward to the games that are coming.
“Man City are a bit different now but [win over them last season] took discipline, bravery. You sometimes regain the ball very near your own goal.
“We are trying to understand the situation that we are in. Pep is never going to talk badly of us just before we play. People say how good a side we are but that does not help us.”
Today’s City squad! 📋XI | Ederson, Lewis, Stones, Dias (C), Gvardiol, Kovacic, Gundogan, Bernardo, Savinho, Doku, HaalandSUBS | Ortega Moreno, Carson, Ake, Grealish, Akanji, Nunes, Foden, O’Reilly, McAtee#ManCity | @etihad pic.twitter.com/ZpSz4jf3zO
and
✌️ Two changes from #BREWOL ➡️ Sa and Bueno come into the XIOur line-up to take on @ManCity. 🐺📋 pic.twitter.com/6O4znUe6vP
Wolverhampton: Jose Sa, Bueno, Dawson, Toti Gomes, Nelson Semedo, Joao Gomes, Andre Trindade, Lemina, Ait Nouri, Cunha, Larsen. Subs: Bentley, Doherty, Rodrigo Gomes, Doyle, Sarabia, Forbs, Bellegarde, Goncalo Guedes, Pedro Lima.
Man City: Ederson, Lewis, Stones, Dias, Gvardiol, Kovacic, Savio, Silva, Gundogan, Doku, Haaland. Subs: Ortega, Carson, Ake, Grealish, Akanji, Matheus Luiz, Foden, O’Reilly, McAtee.
Referee: Chris Kavanagh (Lancashire)
are also in action this afternoon, as it happens. 
Good afternoon, hope you’re having a superb Sunday, restful or fun-filled as per your preference, or possibly even both. You join us for our live blog of Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester City, it’s second bottom against second top and obviously on paper/pools panel, you’d have this as an away win. But we shall see.
City are on 17 points. Liverpool, who play later, are on 18. Arsenal slipped up yesterday and are on 17. This all means that City can go briefly top with a win. Their hosts are right down the other end, a wretched one point from 7 games and level on doal difference with bottom club Southampton. 
Their manager, Gary O’Neil, has mounted a fighting defence against criticism.
“We’re good enough to stay in the league. We will stay in the league,” he said.
“We need to get it going and we need to turn it around quickly so people stop asking me that question sooner rather than later.
“I’m not going to say, ‘no’. And if I say, ‘yes’ people will say, ‘come on, then, you’ve got one point’.
“So it’s a tough question, but hopefully we can pick up a couple of wins and then people can stop asking me.”
“I want to carry the can. It is my responsibility. It’s on me,” he said.
“There is an understanding outside of here as to the situation around the football club. I think that everyone knows.
“You can look at what we’ve sold and what we’ve signed and how much has gone either way. It’s all there to see.
“But that doesn’t mean that we can’t be competitive and it doesn’t mean that I just get a free ride and say, ‘not my fault’.
“I’ll give absolutely everything to help the team and to help the club and then when someone says to me, ‘you know what, we don’t think it’s good enough, you’re going to move on’, then I can say, ‘no problem, I’ve given you absolutely everything, I hope you do well’.
“But that’s not how it’s going to end here. We’re going to turn this around.
“The players are going to give absolutely everything and we’re going to show everybody what a good team we are and that this start to the season has just been a slight shortfall against really good sides.”