Laporte never been more important
Pep Guardiola held his breath as Manchester City medics ran onto the pitch to treat Aymeric Laporte. The Spanish defender, their only fit centre-back looked in a world of pain after being clattered into by Wolves striker Raul Jimenez after playing the ball.
It took Laporte a while to get up, and even then he didn't look comfortable and would soon be substituted. Between then, he still found the energy and quality to stop Jimenez from racing in on goal as he cut the ball out for a corner.
City will hope that the injury is not too severe for Laporte. Even if it does rule him out of the final two games, it will not mar what has been a fine season for the defender - made an even better story by the fact he considered leaving after last season.
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In terms of performance, he has been right up there with the form he found in the 2018/19 campaign when they won the league. And with injuries to Ruben Dias and John Stones leaving him short of a natural partner, he has never been as important to the team as he has this season.
Why always Kev?
It can feel like going over the same ground writing about the same player week after week, game after game. Kevin De Bruyne merits exceptional treatment though to mark the phenomenal talent that he is. Not content with putting City ahead at Wolves in a crucial Premier League game, he basically got the assist himself for his second goal after following up his through-ball then unleashed an unstoppable effort to complete a hat-trick inside 24 minutes and all on his weaker foot.
In all competitions since the middle of December, the midfielder has scored 15 goals and assisted 12 from 27 starts. A timely reminder in the week that City sign Erling Haaland that they already possess the best player in the league.
De Bruyne stuns Foden
Phil Foden has been described by Guardiola as the best young talent he has ever worked with. He has worked his way into one of the best teams ever seen in English football and is widely seen as a generational talent that has the potential to add the Ballon D'Or to the many medals he already has and the ones he will accrue over his career.
At Molineux, Foden was reduced to the same state as the rest of us - left shaking his head in disbelief at the brilliance of De Bruyne. As the Belgian celebrated his hat-trick in front of the City fans, the Stockport youngster turned to supporters wide-eyed and shaking his head at what he had just witnessed.
A fitting scene to capture just how high De Bruyne's level is.
City stability
City threw away a two-goal lead here in 2019 in a defeat that practically ended their title hopes to crown Liverpool at the halfway point in the season. Despite scoring three first-half goals, Wolves never surrendered in this game and pushed regularly to get back into the game.
There were a few nervy moments for City, with Oleksandr Zinchenko enduring a particularly difficult night up against the pacy Chiquinho, and Ederson flapping unconvincingly at a free-kick. But both men also made key stops to help keep Wolves at bay and show that the 21/22 version of City is more stable.
Title race maths
Not only are City three points ahead of Liverpool but they have increased their goal difference. Jurgen Klopp's need to hope either that the champions lose both of their remaining games, or that they lose one and also suffer a seven-goal swing against them.
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