Plenty of hype has surrounded Wolverhampton Wanderers’ return to the Premier League, and after an exciting 1-1 draw with Manchester City the team proved it’s warranted.

Nuno Espírito Santo’s side put in an excellent defensive performance against the defending champions on Saturday, making City’s usually fluid attack look disjointed at times. But it was what they did during their brief time with the ball that really made the difference. Wolves made their counterattacks matter, marauding forward with verve and purpose that kept their opponents honest for the full 90 minutes.

After close calls from both teams in the first half, it was Wolves who took the lead in the 57th minute after catching City off guard with a short corner. Having taken a helpful deflection of the diving Willy Boly’s arm on its way over the line, the goal shouldn’t have counted but neither the ref nor the linesman caught it meaning it stood. Wolves lead lasted for all of 12 minutes, at which point City defender Aymeric Laporte rose above the fray on a freekick to put a bullet header past Wolves keeper Rui Patricio.

The Frenchman’s equalizer set off a frantic final 20 minutes that saw City desperately trying to get the winner. Though they defended with resilience as they had all game, Wolves weren’t afraid to venture forward when the opportunity presented itself. Led by the fantastic midfield duo of Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves, and some unstoppable dribbling from substitute Adama Traore, Nuno’s men got their chances in the game’s dying moments, including an inches-high shot by Diogo Jota that could have won the game in injury time. Still, after Sergio Aguero’s freekick struck the crossbar on the last meaningful play of the game, Wolves were more than happy for the final whistle and the point that came with it.

Although their goal should’ve been disallowed, it’s impossible to begrudge Wolves the draw. This was an excellent team performance from whistle to whistle, with everyone doing their part with remarkable energy and determination. The defense didn’t just soak up the pressure from City, it actively minimized the space available to them and they struggled with this, looking sloppier than one expects a Pep Guardiola-coached team to look. But, as mentioned before, it was what Wolves did with the ball that earned them the draw.

Wolves only had the ball for 29 percent of the game, but when they did, they drove forward, every purposeful pass and dribble propelling the team toward the City goal. And once they were in range, they weren’t afraid to take their chances, tallying 11 shots, two of which were on target. This fearlessness meant City had to be more cautious than usual and couldn’t just slip into the all-out-attack mode that earned them so many late-game wins last season.

Thanks to the nebulous role that super agent Jorge Mendes plays at Wolves — so far his role as a consultant has coincided with a number of excellent players he represents signing with the club — they aren’t as lovable as the average promoted side. But while they have a lot more resources than most newcomers, they are making the most of what they have. Wolves were playing in the second tier last season, but they won’t let that curtail their ambition, even when they’re up against world beaters like City.

Harry Maguire, Leicester City

Just because Maguire is one of the better defenders in the league, doesn’t mean he can’t get in on the scoring too. With the game all but over, and Leicester’s opportunity to make good on its man-advantage over Southampton fast disappearing, the England national saw an opening and went for it, belting a low shot from outside the box into the bottom left corner of the goal for a game-winner that sent him and the visiting fans into hysterics.

Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Southampton

Leicester’s man advantage came about because of a moment of sheer stupidity by Southampton’s Højbjerg. With the game tied and already on a yellow, the Danish midfielder had just lost the ball in the Leicester box when he decided to see if he could earn something with his acting skills. He’d been hoping for a penalty, but all he got was a red card that would cost his side dearly.