Man City’s 5-1 win over Wolves felt like a staging post in a title procession – it seems only complacency can stop them from being crowned champions ahead of Arsenal, writes OLIVER HOLT

Gary O’Neil, the manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers, served a one-match touchline suspension at The Etihad. As he sat in the relative anonymity of the stands and watched his side being demolished by Erling Haaland, O’Neil might have reflected that this was probably the best place to be.

City were simply majestic as they swept aside Wolves 5-1. If they felt any pressure after Arsenal beat Bournemouth earlier in the day to build a four-point lead at the top of the table, they didn’t show it. There was no sign of nerves at all. They seemed even more relaxed than usual.

The truth? This felt like carnival. It felt like a staging post in a title procession. It felt like the kind of occasion that happens when a team has already won the title, not when they are in the middle of a fierce battle with Arsenal.

Before the match, some young children took part in one of the rondos with the substitutes during City’s warm-up. David Silva, a City legend, returned to the club for the first time since his departure and was introduced to the adoring crowd. It was a party a few weeks before the denouement.

It felt like City knew something we didn’t. We suspect so, I think. We suspect they will achieve that unprecedented fourth title by winning their last three games away at Fulham and Tottenham and at home against West Ham. City played as if it was already a done deal.

Gary O’Neil sat in relative anonymity in the stands while serving a one-match touchline ban

There was no arrogance. Just pure confidence. City has been here before. They know what it feels like and what it takes to get the job done, and they go about it with the utmost confidence.

The jewel in their crown against Wolves was Haaland. How could it not? Comparatively, he may have had a ‘quiet’ season after the 52 goals he scored in all competitions on his way to the Treble last season.

But the four goals he scored against O’Neil’s wilting team took him to 25 league appearances this season and almost secured him the Golden Boot for the second season in a row. Cole Palmer and Alexander Isak are five goals behind him. They won’t catch him now.

Haaland was irresistible. Phil Foden, recently crowned the Football Writers’ Association’s Footballer of the Year, was also irresistible. Wolves couldn’t handle either. Haaland literally and figuratively towered over the opposition. He used a miraculous leap to score a header, sandwiched himself between two penalties and then finished things off with a brilliant curling shot from 25 yards.

What did Roy Keane call him? A League Two player? Against Wolves he didn’t look like a League 2 player. He looked like a Rolls Royce of a striker, a striker who has all the gifts in a striker’s arsenal. That includes an insatiable hunger for goals. He was furious when Pep Guardiola replaced him towards the end.

It had taken City just ten minutes to open the scoring. They worked the ball quickly through the right inside channel, Foden sliding a short ball to Bernardo Silva and he crossed first time towards Josko Gvardiol.

Gvardiol sprinted in on Rayan Ait-Nouri’s blind side and just as Gvardiol got his shot away he was felled by the Wolves defender, who didn’t appear to have seen him coming. Referee Craig Pawson pointed to the spot, Haaland sent Jose Sa the wrong way with his penalty.

City pushed everything through Bernardo Silva on the right, where he isolated Hugo Bueno. They almost went two ahead when Bernardo floated a cross to the back post and Haaland’s towering header was punched away at full speed by Sa.

Haaland scored two penalties in a hat-trick in the first half, before adding his fourth after the break

Wolves scored after the break when Ederson slid a cross straight to Hwang Hee-chan

Midway through the half, Foden took on the entire Wolves defense and for a moment it looked like he would beat them all as he approached the goal. Nelson Semedo spoiled the try at the last gasp with a well-timed tackle as Wolves tried to regroup.

The visitors started to play nice football. Twice, Joao Gomes sweetly turned away from Mateo Kovacic in the center of the field, setting up plays that ultimately failed. However, City were ruthless and they soon created a new opening.

Ten minutes before half-time, Hwang Hee-chan and Matheus Cunha managed to lose the ball in the right inside area, which had already brought City so much joy. Kevin de Bruyne quickly worked the ball to Rodri and his cross, deep into the back post, was met by Haaland, who rose high above Semedo and fired his header over Sa and into the net.

Just before half time, Haaland raced through Semedo’s chased goal. As Haaland pulled his left foot back to shoot, Semedo challenged him but pushed his standing leg out from under him.

Initially it seemed as if Haaland had simply missed his kick. We should have known better than to doubt him.

The VAR checked the replay and called referee Craig Pawson to the monitor. It was a clear penalty.

Haaland took it again and hit it in the same spot, to Sa’s right. Sa guessed correctly this time, but still couldn’t make it. Haaland had scored a hat-trick before half-time, which in his name doesn’t seem as bizarre as against another player. It was the sixth hat-trick of his Premier League career.

Wolves pulled a goal back seven minutes after the break when Ederson flubbed a cross and only managed to push it straight into the path of Hwang, who finished coolly. The festivities did not last long.

Less than a minute later, Ederson played the ball out of defense to Foden, Foden pulled a brilliant ball over the top to Haaland and Haaland turned in Max Kilman. Haaland looked up 25 yards from goal and curled a beautiful shot high into the far corner, past Sa’s desperate dive.

Haaland almost had a fifth on the hour when Gvardiol played a pass into his path and he hit a right-foot shot that flew into the roof of the net until Sa produced a fine save and tipped the ball over the crossbar.

Twenty minutes from the end, Foden evaded a challenge from Semedo on the halfway line before advancing and directing a perfectly measured cross towards Haaland.

Haaland opted to try to score with a bicycle kick instead of a header and missed the ball completely. It was about the only thing that had happened to him all evening.

Haaland was taken off the field eight minutes before the end and his replacement Julian Alvarez also scored

It can only be complacency that can stop Pep Guardiola’s side from winning the title again

Haaland was substituted eight minutes before the end after a standing ovation. Seven minutes from time, his replacement, Julian Alvarez, ran through to a Rodri ball and pushed it past Sa for City’s fifth. Guardiola seemed as happy with that goal as any goal scored all evening.

City travel to Fulham next weekend and it feels like only complacency can hold them back now. Unfortunately for Arsenal, Guardiola hates the idea of ​​complacency with every fiber of his being. He’s spent his career guarding against it. City will be very difficult to stop.