Omar Marmoush and Antoine Semenyo were on target for Manchester City, who got back to winning ways after a disappointing week.

Antoine Semenyo netted his first Premier League goal for Manchester City, who earned their first league win of 2026 with a 2-0 victory over Wolves.

After a disappointing week that included back-to-back losses to Manchester United and Bodo/Glimt, City closed the gap to leaders Arsenal to four points.

City - who started the game with Erling Haaland and Phil Foden on the bench - took a sixth-minute lead, with Omar Marmoush stretching to poke Matheus Nunes` cross in.

And he came close to a second shortly after the half-hour mark when he cut inside from the left, only to strike the foot of the right post.

There were handball shouts against Yerson Mosquera in the immediate aftermath, but the referee retained the onfield decision of no spot-kick following a VAR review, with the defender`s arm deemed to be in a natural position.

But Semenyo made sure of the points in the second minute of first-half stoppage time; after getting into a pocket of space on the edge of the box, he curled his low strike past Jose Sa.

Wolves grew into the contest in the second half without troubling Gianluigi Donnarumma, though Mosquera`s looping header hit the crossbar minutes after Semenyo had rattled the goal frame at the other end, with neither side adding to the scoreline after the break.

Data Debrief: City end their recent blues

It was a pretty routine win for City in the end, though they still did not hit their top free-flowing best as they accumulated just 0.92 expected goals (xG) to Wolves` 0.59.

But they remain unbeaten in their last 31 Premier League games against opponents starting the day bottom of the table (W25 D6), since a 1-2 defeat to West Brom in December 2008.

Semenyo became the first player to score on his home Premier League debut for City since Jack Grealish in August 2021 (against Norwich City).

But more notably, since Haaland joined the club in the summer of 2022, City have won 18 of their 22 league games in which the Norwegian has not started (D2 L2), a win rate of 82%, compared to 63% with him in the starting line-up (73/115).

As for Wolves, they remain bottom and 14 points from safety. It was Rob Edwards` 50th Premier League game as a manager, and his 32nd defeat (W7 D11).

Marmoush: We fought until the end, and this was important

Manchester City striker Omar Marmoush spoke in a press statement after the 2-0 victory over Wolverhampton in the match held at the Etihad Stadium, as part of the 23rd round of the English Premier League.

The Egyptian star said in his interview: "We fought until the end and showed a high fighting spirit from the start. [Pep Guardiola] wanted us to give our best and fight for every ball."

Regarding his first match as a starter since August: "It`s important to score a goal and help the team. I am very happy to be here after the Africa Cup of Nations and to assist my team."

Regarding his goal: "I saw Matheus Nunes on the right wing, then sent a great cross. I`m happy with the goal and happy with the three points."

He concluded, "We will just try to regain our physical and mental fitness, then we will continue our journey."

Guardiola: It Was Important to Achieve Victory, and This Is My Stance on the Penalty

Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola appeared in a press conference after the 2-0 victory over Wolverhampton in the 23rd round of the English Premier League.

The coach said, "After two consecutive defeats, it was important for us to achieve a positive result. We had the enthusiasm we aspired to. Everything starts with the look and expression. When you win Premier League titles, the plan doesn`t always succeed. But when you have the necessary passion and focus, everything becomes possible."

Regarding Marc Guehi: "He is excellent, you immediately realize how good he is. In terms of mentality, his age, and his calmness. I feel he lives 24 hours for his position, and Manchester City has made a fantastic, fantastic, fantastic deal for many years, and I am very happy about that."

He added about Antoine Semenyo: "Forwards rely on numbers. Since joining, Antoine has become an essential element. We create plays, and he has played a significant role in many events."

Regarding the decision not to count a handball against Yerson Mosquera: "This is the first time the referee has resorted to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) and canceled the goal. I`m sure Howard Webb will appear in the media tomorrow to explain why it`s not a penalty, just as he did against Manchester United (Dalot against Doku). It was the first time they did it because the situation had some doubt, right? That`s why Jeremy Doku couldn`t play against Bodo/Glimt because of Dalot`s action."

He concluded: "But that`s okay. I`m waiting for tomorrow; don`t wait until Wednesday, we have the Champions League, we are busy. Howard Webb, come tomorrow and explain why it`s not a penalty, do you agree that it`s not a penalty? Certainly not."