Man City 5-1 Wolves: Post-match verdict

Our reporter Michael Plant gives his reaction from the Etihad as Manchester City beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 5-1, with Erling Haaland netting four.

Transcript

00:00 Manchester City 5 Wolves 1 here at the Etihad Stadium in what was you have to

00:05 say a very comfortable afternoon for the champions. It was also an important

00:09 performance given that Arsenal earlier today had won beating Bournemouth 3-0.

00:13 The City responded emphatically. They moved back to a point behind the Gunners

00:16 and still have obviously that game in hand coming up in about 10 days time.

00:21 It's going to be a crucial match in the Premier League title race but this afternoon the

00:25 story was only about one man Erling Haaland another sublime effortless

00:29 performance from him when he just absolutely bulldozed the Wolves defence.

00:33 Four goals from him all four very well taken. Two penalties one of which he won

00:38 actually which is important to mention. A fantastic header down into the

00:41 bottom corner in the first half as well and the fourth goal I thought it was

00:45 just a superb finish from him. Long ball from Phil Foden under the toe of Haaland

00:49 who took a touch cut inside and just curled the ball past Jose Sá into the

00:53 bottom corner. This was as I say City back to their slick effortless best.

00:57 They really didn't have to put in much effort to put in plenty of goals and I

01:03 think that at half-time Alvaro Correola would have been rubbing his hands

01:06 thinking right just keep this going. They were 3-0 up at half-time.

01:10 First half Hat-trick from Erling Haaland just the second player, sorry third player to

01:15 do that twice in Premier League history. He wasn't done as I say got in the

01:19 action, grabbed another one in the second half and then Julian Alvarez also got in

01:22 the action with a superb finish from him. Down low into the bottom corner in

01:28 the latter stages to give City a fifth goal but for them it feels very much like

01:32 a week off served them well. Rarely City at this stage of the season get seven

01:36 days, well six days it was to prepare for a game and it showed City looked

01:41 back to their best. They've got some really good individual displays from the likes of

01:45 Rodri, Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and they just keep marching on. They'll know

01:50 that if they win their next three games they are going to be Premier League

01:52 champions and if they play like they did today I have no doubt that they will do

01:56 but at the same time no doubt in who the star of the show was here today

01:59 Erling Haaland with another four goals for Manchester City.