MANCHESTER – The Etihad Stadium saw a significant “Copa Libertadores” flavor this Saturday as Wolverhampton Wanderers took on Manchester City. Jhon Arias, the former Fluminense star currently linked with a potential return to Brazil, started alongside his old teammate André, but it was a challenging afternoon for the visitors in a 2-0 defeat.
Arias formed an attacking partnership with Hwang Hee-Chan, but struggled to find space against Pep Guardiola’s defense. According to Sofascore, the Colombian international earned a modest 6.4 rating before being substituted for Larsen in the second half.
The Midfield Battle: André and João Gomes While Arias had a quieter game, André was one of the bright spots for Wolves. The former Tricolor midfielder, who lifted the 2023 Libertadores alongside Arias, finished the match with a 7.0 rating, showing his trademark tenacity despite picking up a yellow card.
He was joined in the middle of the park by former Flamengo standout João Gomes. The Brazilian midfielder matched Arias with a 6.4 rating and also saw yellow as he attempted to disrupt City’s world-class midfield. Both André and João Gomes played the full 90 minutes, demonstrating their importance to manager Rob Edwards’ system.
Match Context Despite the efforts of the “Brazilian-connection” midfield, City proved too strong. Omar Marmoush—starting in place of Erling Haaland—and Antoine Semenyo provided the goals that kept the Cityzens’ title hopes alive. The match also featured the debut of Marc Guéhi, who remained solid throughout his first appearance in a City shirt.
Ronald Mike is a football writer covering the English Premier League, providing match analysis, tactical insight, and coverage of key rivalries and title races across the season.
