Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus, left, scores with penalty against Wolverhampton Wanderers during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, Monday, Jan. 14, 2019. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
MANCHESTER, England — Gabriel Jesus kept up his scoring spree for Manchester City with two goals in a 3-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the English Premier League on Monday, moving the champion back to within four points of Liverpool.
The Brazil striker has seven goals across three competitions in the past nine days for City.
His opening goal against Wolves was a 10th-minute tap-in following a left-wing cross from Leroy Sane, who was sent free by a searching ball forward from center back Aymeric Laporte.
When Wolves defender Willy Boly was sent off in the 19th minute for a dangerous tackle on Bernardo Silva, it quickly became a damage-limitation exercise for the visitors.
Jesus added his second goal from the penalty spot in the 39th after Raheem Sterling was fouled by Ryan Bennett.
City piled on the pressure in the second half — it finished the game with 76 percent possession — but had only one more goal to show for it, with Conor Coady glancing a header into his own net from substitute Kevin De Bruyne’s cross.
Since losing back-to-back league games to drop out of the lead and, at one point, seven points behind Liverpool, City has been in relentless form — winning five straight matches in all competitions and scoring 24 goals in the process. Among them was a 9-0 win over third-tier Burton in the English League Cup.
This latest victory moved City five points clear of third-placed Tottenham, which lost at home to Manchester United on Sunday.
Wolves were potentially tricky opponents for City, given their strong record against the top six in the league. Nuno Espirito Santo’s team drew against City at home in August and recently beat Tottenham.
Boly’s straight red card put paid to any chance of an upset at Etihad Stadium.