WOLVES 2, MANCHESTER CITY 5
Manchester City changed all 11 players who played in the remarkable derby on Sunday and still despatched a similarly weakened Wolves team in the Carling Cup fixture with both clubs keeping an eye on the Barclays Premier League fixture between the clubs at the Etihad Stadium this Saturday.
Players of the calibre of Edin Dzeko, Samir Nasri, Adam Johnson, Nigel de Jong, Aleksandar Kolarov and Pablo Zabaleta arrived rested and fresh into the City side which was filled out with a selection of youth and other squad players.
The expectant visitors, however, seemed to be suffering from the same sluggish start as they did at Old Trafford and could have gone a goal down had a penalty been given for what appeared to be an early Kolarov handball in his own area.
Wolves were soon rewarded for their bright start with the opening goal by Nenad Milijas after David Edwards tested the City defence but this only seemed to stir the visitors from their slumber and they set about despatching the makeshift Wolves side that Mick McCarthy had put out at Molineux.
A trio of goals in the space of four minutes before half time wiped out the deficit in style as Johnson, Nasri and Dzeko powered City into the lead.
The second half wasn’t much better for the home side as City pressed home their winning advantage.
An own goal by Wolves ‘keeper De Vries off Luca Scapuzzi’s shot was followed by Edin Dzeko’s second of the night and City’s fifth to put a gloss on the result leaving Jamie O’Hara’s strike moments later a mere consolation.
The two sides meet again at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday and it’s certain that most of the players from tonight’s match will not start as both managers will rotate their squads again.