Wolves have become a history-creating machine under Vitor Pereira as the Portuguese continues to guide the club through a purple patch.
Wolves are Europe’s most in-form team after winning six successive Premier League matches while leaving teams below them in the dust.
The Old Gold have shot up to 13th as a result, which is testament to the work completed by Vitor Pereira, with Wolves set to pocket further prize money.
Ending the campaign on a high can have a positive benefit on the club as a whole, as it makes them a more attractive proposition in the summer transfer window.
That is why a statement performance for Wolves against top-four chasing Manchester City on Friday can see Pereira take another scalp, and the 56-year-old will be quietly confident.
Vitor Pereira will agree with Gary O’Neil’s comments on Rodri in 2023
In September 2023, Wolves secured a 2-1 win over Manchester City, as Gary O’Neil clinched his first victory in charge of the Old Gold.
It was a Ruben Dias own goal and a Hwang Hee-chan strike that sparked incredible scenes at Molineux, with O’Neil outsmarting Pep Guardiola.
Although it was a brilliant performance from his players, the Wolves manager was helped by the absence of midfield powerhouse Rodri.
Speaking after the game, O’Neil stated Rodri not being in the squad was crucial to securing victory due to his importance to the Citizens midfield.
“I think Rodri missing was a big plus, I think Rodri makes that team tick a lot better,” he said in the post-match press conference.
“Obviously no disrespect to anybody who played today but when he’s the pivot it’s a lot more difficult to stop.”
O’Neil wasn’t wrong about the Ballon d’Or winner as City have suffered this season while the midfielder has been sidelined with an ACL injury since September.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 2 |  ArsenalArsenal | 34 | 18 | 13 | 3 | 63 | 29 | 34 | 67 |
| 3 |  NewcastleNewcastle | 34 | 19 | 5 | 10 | 65 | 44 | 21 | 62 |
| 4 |  Man CityManchester City | 34 | 18 | 7 | 9 | 66 | 43 | 23 | 61 |
| 5 |  ChelseaChelsea | 34 | 17 | 9 | 8 | 59 | 40 | 19 | 60 |
| 6 |  Nottm ForestNottingham Forest | 33 | 18 | 6 | 9 | 53 | 39 | 14 | 60 |
Without having the 28-year-old available, Guardiola’s men have dropped from being title contenders to scrapping for a place in the top four.
Admittedly, Rodri’s absence isn’t the sole reason for their alarming drop-off but it was a contributing factor, and Wolves will hope to use that to their advantage.
- READ MORE: Pep Guardiola was left mind-blown by Vitor Pereira, but now his advice could damage Wolves
Joao Gomes and Andre can get the better of Man City’s midfield
Wolves would typically fear Man City in this fixture as they’re normally a title-winning juggernaut that are difficult to stop.
But following their six-match winning run and recent resurgence up the table, supporters head to the Etihad with confidence that Pereira can outsmart Guardiola tactically.
A key element of this fixture will be the engine room battle. Joao Gomes and Andre are the two Brazilian dynamos making a name for themselves, and they can use their ball-winning talents to shut down their opponents this weekend.
City normally line up with Mateo Kovacic at the base and Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan in the advanced number eight roles.
Although Kovacic is physically powerful, he’s no Rodri, and the Wolves duo will be confident of shutting down the threats of Silva and Gundogan too.
Guardiola’s City are no longer the beast they once were, and on Friday night, fans will get a true answer to whether Gomes and Andre can hold their own at the Etihad.