Wolves 1 - 1 Manchester City: Laporte leveller spares Manchester City from defeat at Wolves

Aymeric Laporte rescued a point for Manchester City as the champions were frustrated by battling Wolves.

The defender earned a 1-1 draw, cancelling out Willy Boly’s controversial opener at Molineux after the Wolves centre-back appeared to score with his arm.

Sergio Aguero – twice – and Raheem Sterling hit the frame of the goal for City while Wolves’ Raul Jimenez had a strike disallowed for offside.

It was only the fifth time City had dropped points in the Premier League this calendar year, despite dominating for long spells.

The draw set a new club record for Wolves as they extended their winless run in the top flight to 17 games, stretching back to their last spell in the Premier League in 2011-12.

They gave as good as they got in the opening 15 minutes but were fortunate Ilkay Gundogan tamely shot at Rui Patricio after Aguero’s knockdown.

Helder Costa and Diogo Jota were getting joy out wide for Wolves and the hosts refused to let City hit their stride.

Wolves denied them space and time during an energetic start and were almost rewarded in a chaotic few minutes.

First, in the 20th minute, Vincent Kompany, who endured a sloppy first half, was caught in possession inside City’s half and Jota raced away.

His strike was deflected into the path of Jimenez to tap in from four yards but the striker had strayed a yard offside.

City immediately broke and the previously quiet Aguero thumped a post from 15 yards to remind Wolves of his threat.

Then, 60 seconds later, Patricio produced a wonderful save to deny Sterling, tipping the forward’s half volley from 25 yards onto the bar.

Pep Guardiola’s side had begun to turn up the heat and Boly’s late tackle thwarted Aguero.

As Wolves’ early threat subsided and City asserted their control, further openings began to show for the visitors and Fernandinho dragged wide from 18 yards.

A first-half opener for City seemed inevitable but Wolves escaped again before the break when Patricio palmed Benjamin Mendy’s fizzing cross to Aguero but gathered the striker’s follow-up.

The visitors continued in the same vein after the break as Wolves sat deep and Kompany nodded Gundogan’s corner over three minutes into the second half.

But, against the run of play, the hosts took the lead in contentious fashion in the 57th minute.

Ederson needed to save from Costa after the forward nipped in ahead of a dithering Laporte as Wolves earned a corner.

They played it short to Joao Moutinho and his wicked cross was deflected in by the diving Boly at the far post.

But the defender clearly knocked the ball in with his arm, which was missed by the officials, to leave Molineux in raptures.

Guardiola threw on Gabriel Jesus for Bernardo Silva in response and David Silva’s penalty appeals went unrewarded.

But City levelled after 69 minutes with a goal of supreme simplicity when Laporte crashed in a header from Gundogan’s free-kick.

It sucked the life out of Wolves and Patricio’s fine reactions stopped Jesus’ fine header making it 2-1.

Wolves conjured one final chance when Jota lashed over before Augero’s stoppage-time free kick struck the bar for City.