Kevin De Bruyne scores four goals at Wolves as Man City open four-point lead off Liverpool

If Erling Haaland is going to be the main man at Manchester City then Kevin De Bruyne might just have something to say about that.

With four goals, including a first-ever Premier League hat-trick which was claimed in 24 whirlwind minutes, he propelled City even closer to retaining the title.

After De Bruyne scored his third he even struck what appeared to be an adaptation of Haaland’s ‘yoga pose’ goal celebration. What a combination they will be next season following the confirmation that City are signing the Borussia Dortmund striker. It could be scary for the rest of the league.

De Bruyne was simply brilliant. Ten out of 10. He is and has been for some time City’s outstanding player and he showed it again. They had arrived at Molineux with a little trepidation – it has never been an easy stadium for them – but left having imperiously restored their three-point lead over Liverpool and crucially further enhanced their goal difference.

With just two games to go their goal advantage is up to seven and they have scored 22 times in their last five league games. If they beat West Ham United away on Sunday, a day after Liverpool play the FA Cup Final, they will have one hand firmly on the Premier League trophy ahead of a final day fixture against Aston Villa.

The only concern was yet another injury to a defender as Aymeric Laporte limped off with a hurt knee. Nathan Ake, himself not fully fit, is their only centre-half still standing.

It was a raucous start. It was the De Bruyne show. First City struck; then Wolves hit back and then City responded. Twice. When De Bruyne scored his first goal it looked like it would settle any nerves, ease any tension especially in the way that he cut through the Wolves defence as he was allowed to exchange passes with Bernardo Silva who threaded the ball through. De Bruyne ran onto it and angled a low shot across Jose Sa and into the net. On the bench Guardiola pumped his fists.

City had already gone close with De Bruyne centring and Phil Foden narrowly failing to get his studs on the ball but it was when they threatened again that Wolves hit back. The ball was lost in the Wolves penalty area and with City committing players forward Raul Jimenez picked out Pedro Neto. He had space, far too much space, down the left was allowed to run and run before eventually cutting the ball back for Leander Dendoncker to side-foot past Ederson. This time Guardiola took a glug of water. Was the concession a result of losing so many defenders (no John Stones, Ruben Dias or Kyle Walker)? Certainly City looked unusually vulnerable at that moment.

They brushed it aside. For some reason Wolves failed to track De Bruyne once again as he was found by Oleksandr Zinchenko and he lifted the ball through to Raheem Sterling who was beaten to it by Sa. However it broke to the onrushing De Bruyne whose shot ricocheted off the goalkeeper and flew high into the net.

City – and in particular De Bruyne – were certainly in the mood to kill the contest and he superbly claimed his hat-trick as he collected Sterling’s lay-off from a throw-in and ran in from the right wing, holding off challenges. Wolves – who almost looked scared of him – retreated and that was fatal as De Bruyne struck a powerful left-foot shot around Sa. Foden shook his head, almost in disbelief, as he joined the celebrations.

It took the air out of Wolves. City kept the ball and inevitably they were reduced to trying to counter on the break. The home fans grew restless as the slim hopes of qualifying for European competition continued to disappear and two desperate penalty appeals were turned down as was one for City when Sterling went over under Rayan Ait-Nouri’s challenge.

There was lengthy treatment for Laporte after Jimenez fell against his leg and he struggled to move freely. Nathan Ake replaced him but not before De Bruyne unerringly scored his fourth. He started the move, pushing the ball out to Foden on the right who tried to find Sterling. Ait-Nouri intervened but could only direct the ball to De Bruyne who slammed it home.

It confirmed the result but he was relentless and powered forward again before laying the ball to Foden. With only Sa to beat his shot cannoned back off the post. Sterling should have added to City’s advantage but failed to fully connect with Foden’s cross and ran into the post. Finally he got his goal with substitute Jack Grealish finding Joao Cancelo whose cross ran through to Sterling who tapped it home before De Bruyne also struck the post and Sterling missed another opportunity. It could have been an even greater rout.