Manchester City’s midfield genius Kevin De Bruyne scored four goals on Wednesday in a 5-1 win at Wolves to put his team in a commanding position to retain the Premier League with two games remaining.

The Belgian put the game to bed with a hat-trick in a devastating 18-minute spell in the first half, before notching a fourth after the break as the away fans alternated between chanting “Kevin De Bruyne” and “Champions of England”.

The win leaves Pep Guardiola’s side top on 89 points, three ahead of Liverpool whom they also lead on goal difference, with the title now firmly in their sights.

A second consecutive Premier League title would assuage disappointment at their Champions League exit, after City fell in the semis and Liverpool reached the final.

At Molineux, De Bruyne scored the third earliest hat-trick in Premier League history with a sumptuously-placed finish in the seventh minute, a clever follow-up to a rebound in the 16th, and a curler from the edge of the box in the 24th.

Wolves had briefly threatened an upset, when Leander Dendoncker made it 1-1 after a great break, before the De Bruyne show rolled on. He scored a fourth from close range in the 60th minute, before team mate Raheem Sterling completed another easy win for City with his 84th-minute goal.

Wolves stayed in eighth position on 50 points.

Match highlights

• GOAL! De Bruyne scores early

• GOAL! Wolves hit back through Dendoncker

• GOAL! De Bruyne puts City ahead - again

• GOAL! De Bruyne completes 17-minute hat-trick

• GOAL! Fourth for De Bruyne

• GOAL! Sterling adds another

Wolverhampton Wanderers FC 1 - 5 Manchester City FC

Match report

22:33 , Marc Mayo

Thanks for joining our live blog for tonight’s game, we will be back tomorrow night for the north London derby!

Recap this big win for City with our match report.

Those numbers *chef’s kiss*

22:26 , Marc Mayo

De Bruyne gives his reaction

22:20 , Marc Mayo

“Pretty nice. When you score four goals it’s always something special, it should have been five to be honest. But I think we played well except a couple of counters in the first half, and we could have scored more. To do that against a Wolves team that is defensively sound is impressive.”

22:15 , Marc Mayo

A sight to savour for City fans:

Check out the updated Premier League table.

22:11 , Marc Mayo

Full time!

22:06 , Marc Mayo

Manchester City go three points clear atop the Premier League!

22:05 , Marc Mayo

90+2 mins: Cancelo clearly fancies getting in on the fun as he picks up Grealish’s pass and slams a shot into the side netting. Plenty of teammates were ready for the cross from that one.

22:02 , Marc Mayo

90 mins: POST!

Nearly five for De Bruyne! With space in abundance, he curls a left-footed strike onto the far post.

Three minutes up on the board as Hwang goes close down the other end.

21:59 , Marc Mayo

86 mins: The offside flag spares Sterling’s blushes as he rolls another big chance wide.

Young midfielder Cundle comes on for Wolves, replacing Moutinho.

GGOOOAALLL!!! Wolves 1-5 Man City | Sterling

21:56 , Marc Mayo

84 mins: AN EASY FINISH FOR STERLING!

Cancelo breaks in and his deflected cross beats Sa, allowing the simplest of finishes.

21:54 , Marc Mayo

80 mins: Grealish gets a dose of boos from his old Midlands rivals and replaces Foden.

21:51 , Marc Mayo

77 mins: Rodri will drop into the back-four with that change. De Bruyne is therefore into midfield and booked for a late tackle, cue big cheers from the home fans.

21:49 , Marc Mayo

75 mins: MISS!

What a howler for Sterling as Foden picks him out perfectly for a far-post finish on the volley, but he gets it all wrong and scuffs the effort before clattering into the woodwork.

Fernandinho is coming off for Mahrez. An offensive change for a team 4-1 up.

21:45 , Marc Mayo

71 mins: Double change for Wolves as Trincao and Hwang come on for Neto and Jimenez.

21:42 , Marc Mayo

69 mins: Wolves are far from done with Dendoncker and Jimenez testing Ederson, the visitors now very content to save their legs and play on the break.

It’s all a bit 2-0 football from the hosts, from 4-1 down (if that makes sense).

21:40 , Marc Mayo

66 mins: POST!

Foden is teed up by De Bruyne and rolls his near-post effort against the woodwork. Nearly five!

21:35 , Marc Mayo

62 mins: All action after the goal as Fernandinho manages to escape a tangle with Neto in his own box, the replay suggesting he just about got the ball before his attacker went over.

Those appeals are waved away before Foden nearly picks out Sterling for a fifth.

Shortly after the goal, Laporte was spared with Ake now on.

GGOOOAALLL!!! Wolves 1-4 Manchester City | De Bruyne

21:33 , Marc Mayo

59 mins: GAME. SET. MATCH. DE BRUYNE HAS FOUR!

Foden ran down the left and almost found Sterling in the middle, but no matter that the winger could not finish it off - as De Bruyne could!

21:29 , Marc Mayo

57 mins: Laporte still looks hurt as he chases down Jimenez and nicks the ball out for a corner.

Wolves send the ball in deep and Coady pops up to be denied by Ederson from a great position - but the flag is up.

21:26 , Marc Mayo

54 mins: Wolves fans feel a bit hard done by here after Zinchenko drags Chiquinho down by the corner flag.

Martin Atkinson keeps his cards pocketed, though. He could have very easily booked the Ukrainian there.

21:25 , Marc Mayo

52 mins: The replays showed that was an awkward one for Laporte so the boos from sections of the home crowd are quite harsh as he eventually gets back to his feet.

Ake is warming up but the Frenchman looks to have avoided any serious issues there - a big reprieve for City who are three key defenders down for the rest of the run-in.

21:23 , Marc Mayo

50 mins: More injury worries for City with Laporte down after Jimenez bundled into the defender following a tangle with Foden, jarring his knee.

21:20 , Marc Mayo

47 mins: Sterling thinks he’s made it 4-1 but the offside flag goes up after he rolls home a one-on-one, and the replays confirm the decision.

21:19 , Marc Mayo

46 mins: An early move forward is led by Sterling and Jonny is there to divert a lovely cross over his own bar, with Foden waiting to tap home.

De Bruyne’s header is turned away by Coady.

Second-half begins!

21:18 , Marc Mayo

No changes for either side.

21:15 , Marc Mayo

Around the grounds

21:11 , Marc Mayo

Chelsea are nearing the full-time whistle while leading Leeds 2-0 at Elland Road.

Leicester also have a two-goal advantage over Norwich at King Power Stadium after a brace from Jamie Vardy. Watford and Everton are goalless in the other 7.45pm kick-off.

Story of the half

21:05 , Marc Mayo

Kevin De Bruyne’s slick finish put City ahead after just seven minutes yet Wolves hit back quickly through Leander Dendoncker.

No worry for the visitors, who led shortly afterwards through De Bruyne again before he completed his hat-trick on 24 minutes with a fierce strike from outside the box.

Half-time! Wolves 1-3 Man City

21:02 , Marc Mayo

The leaders are well on top.

21:02 , Marc Mayo

45+1 mins: De Bruyne looks ready to bury another with a sensational run which ends with teeing up Sterling, who collects an arm from Ait-Nouri but Martin Atkinson dismisses the calls for a penalty.

Wolves break and Laporte smashes his clearance at Fernandinho, earning the hosts a surprise corner. Laporte heads away.

21:00 , Marc Mayo

45 mins: De Bruyne fancies a fourth and stings a low shot from outside the box a yard wide of the post. Two minutes added on.

20:58 , Marc Mayo

43 mins: Good work from Chiquinho on his first Wolves start as he outmuscles Foden to steal the ball, before playing a real lazy pass to give it back. Fortunately for the hosts, Sa puts an end to City’s move.

A sense of drift about the game now as we head towards the break, the away team very much on top.

20:54 , Marc Mayo

39 mins: Cancelo upsets Foden with a whack at goal, which flies over, after a move down the right.

His teammate was fairly open for a tap-in at the back stick, he’d Cancelo had found him.

20:53 , Marc Mayo

37 mins: It’s been a better few minutes from the hosts, who are at least matching their opponents in some passages of play to gain more of a foothold in the game.

No team will envy Wolves tonight though, City are just playing too good.

20:49 , Marc Mayo

34 mins: Wolves appeal for a penalty after Zinchenko lunges in on Chiquinho down the right channel. It looks like a risky one but he maybe just gets the ball, before Martin Atkinson gives a corner.

And VAR agrees.

20:45 , Marc Mayo

30 mins: After a De Bruyne foul, Wolves enjoy a moment of possession and Neto has an attempt from 20 yards hastily blocked.

The same player sends in a cross moments later which drifts out of play.

20:42 , Marc Mayo

27 mins: This is what City should have done to Real Madrid, were they on this sort of form in front of goal.

Rodri is next to come close, with a thunderbolt from 25 yards.

It’s 3-1 but it feels like it could be seven or eight, if they keep this pace up.

GGGGOOOOOOAALLLLLL! Wolves 1-3 Man City | De Bruyne

20:38 , Marc Mayo

24 mins: GUESS WHO? DE BRUYNE HAS A HAT-TRICK!

This time it’s a simply wonderous strike on his left foot from the edge of the D as defenders retreated. A mesmeric 17-minute hat-trick from the Belgian.

20:38 , Marc Mayo

22 mins: Just the 70 per cent of possession for the away team so far, and rising, with Wolves struggling to break out as shown by Silva and Foden applying excellent pressure on Chiquinho as the winger attempts to force a counter.

20:34 , Marc Mayo

19 mins: Wolves are already looking a bit leggy chasing the City players down and yet the visitors are playing with supreme confidence.

Zinchenko looks to cross from a good position on the left but Boly is there. Can they grab a third before the break?

GGGOOOOAAALLLLL! Wolves 1-2 Man City | De Bruyne

20:30 , Marc Mayo

16 mins: DE BRUYNE, AGAIN!

The Belgian is playing centrally tonight and looking such a threat, this time playing in Sterling after dragging Coady out of position.

Sa flaps at the ball, afraid of Sterling barrelling into him, and it falls to De Bruyne who needs no second invitation!

20:28 , Marc Mayo

13 mins: Just like at Villa Park last night, the title challengers find themselves at 1-1 with hardly any time on the clock.

Liverpool came through their test, can City?

GGGOOOOAALLL!! Wolves 1-1 Man City | Dendoncker

20:26 , Marc Mayo

11 mins: DENDONCKER HITS BACK!

Not so fast, City! Jimenez leads a counter-attack and the volume rises as he smartly picks out Neto.

The roof then comes off Molineux as his cutback finds Dendoncker, who strikes low to beat Ederson. Game on!

20:24 , Marc Mayo

8 mins: A solid reply from Wolves after kick-off, Chiquinho forcing a smart sliding tackle in the area from Laporte before the corner is dealt with.

But City have plenty of confidence now and Silva flashes a cross-shot across the face of goal.

GGGOOOOAAALLLL!! Wolves 0-1 Man City | De Bruyne

20:21 , Marc Mayo

6 mins: DE BRUYNE FOR CITY!

The visitors win the ball back in midfield and fly forward, Silva laying in De Bruyne perfectly for the Belgian to slot home. A massive early advantage for City!

20:20 , Marc Mayo

5 mins: A fair dose of pressure for Wolves to contend with here, as the best defence in the first 15 minutes of Premier League matches this season welcome the best early goalscorers of the division.

Cancelo lofts a cross out of play and Jimenez wins a foul by the halfway line after Fernandinho is beaten and Rodri bundles in.

20:17 , Marc Mayo

2 mins: A first sight of goal for the visitors as De Bruyne gets away down the right following a lovely flick by Sterling under pressure.

Foden cannot meet the low cross on the stretch, the youngster about three inches too short to reach the severity of fizz his teammate sent that cross in with.

Kick-off!

20:15 , Marc Mayo

We are underway!

Can Manchester City build out a fresh three-point advantage atop the Premier League?

The players are out!

20:12 , Marc Mayo

Kick-off is just moments away at a packed Molineux...

20:10 , Marc Mayo

Still no Bruno Lage for Wolves tonight, the Covid-hit boss will watch the match from their Compton Park training ground.

Assistant Alex Silva and fitness coach Carlos Cachada will be in the dugout, with coach and Lage’s younger brother Luis Nascimento plus goalkeeping coach Tony Roberts also down due to the virus.

Pep Guardiola previews the game

20:07 , Marc Mayo

“I would say their players are huge competitors, most of them come from Portugal and have a competitive DNA. They are strong at set-pieces. They are a complete team and this is one of the away games you see at the start of the season where you know it’ll be tough. We know what we have to do, win points to retain the title.”

Kick-off is almost upon us

20:03 , Marc Mayo

Breaking: Caroline Weir wins Man City’s Goal of the Season

19:57 , Marc Mayo

19:52 , Marc Mayo

Pep Guardiola has defended Manchester City’s spending as they look for a fourth Premier League title in five years.

“Listen when Liverpool in the 1970s or 80s or Manchester United, who spent more money?” he said to Sky Sports. “It was Norwich? Norwich spent more money in that period? Or Leicester spent more money on them? No they spent more money than the other ones but the money for them is completely different from now.

“I am going to change it. When we put Etihad [on the front of the shirt], ‘Aw it's overpaid’. But now United and Liverpool or whoever are going to pay more.

“Maybe they deserve it because they're working well, because the CEO negotiates well, whatever happens, then more because it's for United States of America or another country the owners are so now it's perfect.

“That's why we're going to change but for a long time it's not going to change, that is the reality. Only way we can change is doing well on the pitch.”

Did you win at Pep Rotation tonight?

19:46 , Marc Mayo

Elsewhere in the Premier League today

19:40 , Marc Mayo

Chelsea are already a goal up over Leeds at Elland Road after an early Mason Mount goal.

At 7.45pm, Leicester host Norwich and Everton take on Watford at Vicarage Road.

You can follow the Chelsea game live here.

19:35 , Marc Mayo

We expect it to be a knee issue behind Romain Saiss’ absence but it could also have something to do with the soon-to-be out-of-contract defender admitting he felt “more away than staying” when it comes to his summer.

“I think if everything is not done before the end of the season it just means it is time to go because I want to be fixed for next season,” he told Sky Sports in an interview released yesterday.

“With the World Cup, I need to start the season at the right time. I need to know what will happen with me as soon as possible.”

19:30 , Marc Mayo

Romain Saiss is not in the squad for Wolves, allowing Chiquinho to come in for his first start since joining in January.

That leaves a bit of a question as to how the hosts will set up. Will Leander Dendoncker drop into defence in a 3-4-3 or will it be Jonny shuffling over to keep the 3-5-2, with Chiquinho in right midfield?

19:26 , Marc Mayo

Three changes for Manchester City as Ruben Dias drops out for Fernandinho after being ruled out for the rest of the season.

Jack Grealish and Gabriel Jesus are also replaced by Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden. Nathan Ake remains on the bench due to a knock.

How the hosts line up

19:18 , Marc Mayo

Wolves XI: Sa; Jonny, Boly, Coady; Chiquinho, Dendoncker, Neves, Moutinho, Ait-Nouri; Jimenez, Neto.

Subs: Ruddy, Hoever, Marcal, Trincao, Mosquera, Silva, Toti, Hwang, Cundle.

The Man City XI is out...

19:15 , Marc Mayo

Manchester City XI: Ederson; Cancelo, Fernandinho, Laporte, Zinchenko; Rodri, Gundogan, Bernardo; Sterling, De Bruyne, Foden.

Subs: Steffen, Ake, Jesus, Grealish, Mahrez, Egan-Riley, Mbete, Palmer, Lavia.

The stage is set

19:11 , Marc Mayo

A lovely blue sky in the black country as the sun sets!

The hosts sign in at Molineux

19:03 , Marc Mayo

Team news due out in the next 15 minutes...

18:58 , Marc Mayo

Latest odds

18:53 , Marc Mayo

Wolves: 13/1

Draw: 11/2

Manchester City: 2/7

Premier League winner

Man City: 2/13

Liverpool: 6/1

Odds by SBK

Kick-off in just under 90 minutes!

18:48 , Marc Mayo

Head to head record

18:42 , Marc Mayo

After three defeats in a row to Wolves during 2019, City have now won each of their last three meetings.

Wolves wins: 49

Draws: 25

Man City wins: 51

Evening Standard score prediction

18:36 , Marc Mayo

Certainly a difficult game for City, although the manner of their performance on Sunday just days after Champions League heartache would suggest there’s little going wrong.

Man City to win, 2-1.

18:29 , Marc Mayo

Predicted Manchester City XI: Ederson; Cancelo, Ake, Laporte, Zinchenko; Rodri, De Bruyne, Silva; Jesus, Foden, Grealish.

18:23 , Marc Mayo

Predicted Wolves XI: Sa; Boly, Coady, Saiss; Jonny, Dendoncker, Neves, Moutinho, Ait-Nouri; Jimenez, Neto.

18:15 , Marc Mayo

For the champions, Guardiola has confirmed Kyle Walker, John Stones and Ruben Dias will miss the remainder of the campaign, surely bringing Nathan Ake in to partner Aymeric Laporte centrally.

“Nothing changed after the game against Newcastle,” said Guardiola at his Tuesday press conference. “We are who we are and are going to last three games with the players we have and go for it.

Jack Grealish and Raheem Sterling both impressed against Newcastle and could line up either side of Phil Foden in attack.

Early team news

18:09 , Marc Mayo

Max Kilman, Nelson Semedo and Daniel Podence will all be out for the rest of the season for Wolves.

Raul Jimenez was brought back into the side in place for Fabio Silva for the Chelsea draw along with Pedro Neto. Given the manner of their comeback, it seems reasonable to expect the same line-up as City roll into town.

Lage, meanwhile, is hoping to be back in the dugout after his recent positive Covid test.

How to watch

18:02 , Marc Mayo

TV channel: Tonight’s game will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Ultra HD, with coverage beginning at 8pm.

Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers will also be able to watch the match live online via the Sky Go app.

Good evening!

17:22 , Marc Mayo

Hello and welcome to Standard Sport’s live coverage of Wolves versus Manchester City.

What a massive night it is in the Premier League with the leaders knowing that they will likely remain top of the table even if they lose at Molineux.

Buckle up for what promises to be a wild ride as we bring you all the build-up, match action and reaction for this clash!