Kevin De Bruyne made his mark in his penultimate home game at the Etihad Stadium as he scored the decisive goal in Manchester City’s narrow 1-0 win over Wolves. The victory propelled Pep Guardiola’s side into third place in the Premier League table, four points clear of sixth-placed Nottingham Forest in the race for Champions League qualification.<\/p>
With his contract set to expire this summer, De Bruyne delivered a timely reminder of his unparalleled class. The Belgian midfielder timed his run to perfection, meeting Jeremy Doku’s low cross with a clinical first-time finish. Wolves, enjoying a six-game winning streak coming into this fixture, were the better side for long spells in the first half. <\/p>
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde spurned a golden opportunity when he opted to pass rather than shoot on a dangerous break. While Wolves wing-back Rayan Ait-Nouri then struck the post with a curling effort, and Josko Gvardiol cleared the follow-up attempt off the line.<\/p>
City regained control after the break but were given another scare when Matheus Cunha’s curling shot clipped the outside of the post. In the end, De Bruyne’s goal proved enough to snap Wolves’ impressive run and tighten City’s grip on a top-five finish as the season nears its conclusion.<\/p>