Wolves experienced their first Premier League defeat since the end of February as Manchester City secured a 1-0 victory at the Etihad.
Wolves went into the clash on a six-match winning run but couldn’t continue that on Friday evening as they were punished for missing some golden opportunities.
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, who replaced the injured Jorgen Strand Larsen, overhit his pass to Marshall Munetsi after being sent clean through on goal, while Rayan Ait-Nouri struck the post in the first half.
Predictably, Vitor Pereira’s side were made to pay for their missed chances as Kevin De Bruyne’s well-taken finish proved to be the winner.
It was a game that saw Emmanuel Agbadou produce another phenomenal performance despite defeat, whereas his former Stade Reims teammate Munetsi didn’t cover himself in glory.
Vitor Pereira must drop Marshall Munetsi after horrific Man City showing
When the team sheet was named ahead of kick off, Munetsi lined up in attack alongside Bellegarde and Matheus Cunha, taking his place on the right channel.
The 28-year-old is known for his aggressive pressing off the ball and the pressure he applies to opponents, which is desired against a world-class team.
However, Wolves fans were frustrated at Munetsi against City, as his hard work out of possession wasn’t complemented by any useful passages of play, instead cutting a disconsolate figure.
| Marshall Munetsi’s stats vs Man City |
| 90 minutes played |
| 1/3 successful dribbles |
| 7/12 accurate passes (58%) |
| 3/9 ground duels won |
| Possession lost 10 times |
| 2 fouls committed |
| 0 blocked shots |
Worryingly, the Zimbabwe star only completed seven passes in 90 minutes, seeing him struggle to get on the ball and keep play ticking over.
He also wasn’t excellent out of possession, either, only winning three of his nine attempted ground duels and losing possession 10 times.
Munetsi, who was signed for £16.6m on transfer deadline day, didn’t have his best evening, and he should now be axed from the starting lineup by Pereira.
- READ MORE: Vitor Pereira warns Fosun about devastating ‘problem’ Wolves could face in the transfer window
Pablo Sarabia deserves to start against Brighton
Wolves lack quality wingers in reserve, but they do still have Pablo Sarabia available, and he perhaps deserves an opportunity from the off.
Sarabia sees his contract expire in the summer with no sign of a renewal on the table. That should inspire Pereira to use the Spaniard as much as possible, having watched him make a difference recently.
In the 1-0 win over Manchester United, Wolves had Sarabia to thank for his stunning free kick, and he previously came off the bench to score and assist against Ipswich Town.
The silky 32-year-old is approaching the end of his career at Molineux, and in his penultinate match at Molineux against Brighton, a start should be on the cards.