As the reigning champions exited Molineux with a controversial victory, Gary O'Neil had much to ponder come the final whistle.
Despite the resilient performance from his side, Wolves continue to find themselves at the foot of the Premier League table after their worst ever start to a Premier League campaign.
After eight disheartening games, Wolves have more favourbale fixtures to look forward to and hopefully give much-needed confidence to a morale-struck squad.
Jose Sa is not done at Wolves
After Sam Johnstone's arrival in the summer, the common belief was that Jose Sa's days as Gary O'Neil's number one were over.
However, despite Sunday's late goal sparking controversy in regards to the role of Bernardo Silva and his placement in front of Sa, the Portuguese goalkeeper put in a fantastic performance in between the sticks for Wolves.
Whilst comments from O'Neil lean in the direction of Johnstone retaining his starting status upon his return, the performance of Sa did more than enough to cause a potential selection headache moving forward.
After the 31-year-old had a difficult start to the season, his performance against Manchester City has helped to earn back some of the rapport he once had amongst Wolves supporters.
Jørgen Strand Larsen is the man to lead the line
Netting his third goal of the season, Jørgen Strand Larsen is continuing to lead the line well for Wolves despite a lack of service at times.
The Norweigan's goal in the 7th minute came after an excellent ball from Nelson Semedo was met by Larsen who made no mistake in tapping the ball home from inside the box.
After a period without a natural presence in the box, Larsen is providing a breath of fresh air in the final third for Wolves supporters.
And whilst Wolves were not the most active in an attacking sense against the champions, Larsen continues to prove week-in and week-out that he can cause problems for opposition defences, and that he is the man to lead the line for Wolves.
Bueno earning his place
With Yerson Mosquera ruled out for the rest of the season, and Gary O'Neil's switch to a back three, Santiago Bueno is finally beginning to become a regular for Wolves after impressing with Uruguay in the recent international break.
The 25-year-old has struggled to nail down a regular place since his arrival from Girona in the summer of 2023, however, his recent form indicates that the Uruguayan is set to become one of the first names on the team sheet for Wolves in O'Neil's back three.
Bueno is calm and composed on the ball, and made a big impact against Manchester City with his fantastic ball out wide to Nelson Semedo, with the Old Gold taking the lead via Strand Larson as a result.
Back three is a must
Depending on how Wolves' season unfolds and the length of O'Neil's tenure at Molineux, there may be valid questions about why it took so long to return to the three-man defence that has served the team well in recent years, and some supporters may also wonder as to why the system change happened in the first place.
The old system has now been reinstated, and while O'Neil downplayed the importance of formations, it was a breath of fresh air to see Wolves playing in a style that had brought success for much of his 2023-24 debut season before late-stage injuries disrupted it.
Craig Dawson for example, was familiarly rock solid, with the veteran powerhouse appearing far more effective when supported by fellow centre-backs, allowing him to remain in central areas where he excels at winning headers and tackles.
