Emmanuel Adebayor’s blistering first-half effort proved enough to earn victory for Manchester City on his home debut.

Although newly-promoted Wolves came close to an equaliser when Gary Keogh’s effort crashed back off the crossbar late on, City should have won far more easily than they did.

Robinho went close on three separate occasions during the first-half alone, when Adebayor might have added to his tally as the big spenders dominated.

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And after the interval, Stephen Ireland should have scored, only to prod a tame effort wide after running onto Robinho’s return pass, then Adebayor rounded keeper Wayne Hennessey but took the ball too wide and fired into the side-netting when he should have done much better.

It left City open to the counter-attack and Andy Keogh nearly made them pay with the visitors’ best chance, which rocketed back off the bar midway through the second-half.

City maintained their 100 per cent record, which keeps them alongside the early pace-setters.

Earlier this week, Wolves boss Mick McCarthy appeared to indicate City could not win the title this time around.

However, the straight-talking Yorkshireman has now clarified his stance.

“I didn’t say they couldn’t win it, I said I didn’t think they would. There is a difference,” he countered.

“If they carve out as many chances as they did today, brilliant. If they let everybody else carve out as many as we did, it is different.

“I can’t say we deserved to take something out of the game. That would be balmy because they had so many opportunities. But we nearly did.”

“But if they let everybody else carve out the chances that we did, it is different.”

There is certainly plenty of room for optimism around the Blues camp just now, and room for improvement given Mark Hughes’ on-going pursuit of Joleon Lescott.

Developments in the long-running transfer saga are on-going and it is expected ex-Wolves man Lescott will leave Everton for City at some point over the next week.

And, with a trip to crisis club Portsmouth next Sunday, City could well find themselves heading into the international break among the Premier League’s pace-setters.

However, on the evidence of the past week, Lescott is not actually required.

A friendly win over Barcelona in the Nou Camp, sandwiched in between Premier League victories over Blackburn and Wolves, mean City have enjoyed an immensely successful week that has brought them six points and three clean sheets.

In addition, £25m striker Adebayor has two goals to his name, following up last week’s effort at Ewood Park with a fine 19th-minute matchwinner to sink Wolves.

“It is important that your strikers get up and running,” said Hughes.

By Simon Stone