The City boss had made eight alterations for the midweek Carabao Cup clash with Newcastle United to give some of his players a rest after a busy start to the season.
Ederson, Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Matheus Nunes, Phil Foden, Jeremy Doku and Erling Haaland all return to the side at Molineux.
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City are without John Stones, Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne due to injury while Rodrigo is suspended following his red card against Nottingham Forest last week.
Another difference will be on the touchline with Guardiola not allowed in the dugout after receiving three yellow cards but he is at Molineux, with assistant Juanma Lillo in his usual place.
TEAMS
WOLVES XI: Sa, Semedo, Dawson, Kilman, Ait Nouri, Gomes, Lemina, Neto, Toti, Hwang, Cunha.
Subs: Bentley, Doherty, Bueno, Traore, Silva, Kaladzic, Jonny, Sarabia, Hodge.
CITY XI: Ederson, Walker (C), Akanji, Dias, Ake, Kovacic, Nunes, Foden, Doku, Alvarez, Haaland.
Subs: Ortega Moreno, Carson, Phillips, Grealish, Gomez, Gvardiol, Bobb, Lewis.
TACTICS
City’s formation would seem similar to the one that started our 2-0 victory over Forest at the Etihad.
It’s a similar back-four with the exception of Nathan Ake for Josko Gvardiol on the left-hand side with captain Walker acting as a raiding full-back.
However, the loss of Rodrigo through suspension sees a change to midfield with Mateo Kovacic, back from injury, likely to play alongside Nunes to offer protection with Foden playing the dangerous inside right role.
Julian Alvarez is likely to play close to spearhead Haaland with Doku on the left-hand side, although Guardiola said he could play on either wing in his pre-match news conference.
OLD GOLD
Portuguese international Nunes could be an important figure today as he returns to the Molineux less than a month after leaving in the summer transfer window.
The 25-year-old is likely to get a hot reception from Wolves fans after they lost such an important player.
His start is given extra importance with the suspension of Rodrigo who has been so influential and regarded by Guardiola as ‘the best holding midfielder in the world’.
Nunes and Kovacic could split the role between them and both are blessed with wonderful ball-carrying technique.
They could be vital today, but the home side will be desperate to put them under as much pressure as they can.
STATS AND FACTS
City have won our last six games against Wolves with an aggregate score of 19-3, including victories on our last three Premier League visits to Molineux.
A win would see us become only the third side to win each of their opening seven matches in a season in the competition, after Chelsea in 2005/06 (first 9) and Liverpool in 2019/20 (first 8), both of whom went on to lift the title. It’s a feat we have never previously achieved in the top-flight, having only done so in any league campaign in 1897/98 in the second tier.
City have won 71 points in the Premier League in 2023, 16 more than any other side and 39 more than opponents Wolves have. We have also netted the most goals (66) and conceded the fewest (20) of any ever-present side.
Pep Guardiola has won 40 of his last 44 Premier League matches against English managers, including the last nine in a row, one of which was a 4-1 victory over Gary O’Neil’s Bournemouth in February.
Since the start of the 2019/20 campaign, City have lost four of the 14 Premier League games that Rodrigo has missed, with the Spaniard leading the charts for completed passes in the division this season (616).
