Fulham 4-5 Manchester City Review

Premier League GW14

Looking back, that was one of the classic Premier League games you’ll enjoy watching the highlights of in years to come, but as an experience live, it was a complete swing of emotions. Impressive display in the first half, and by the end, you’re counting down every single second. Now back-to-back wins for Manchester City.

MOTM: ERLING HAALAND

Other standout performances include Phil Foden

Notable Stats:

• Erling Haaland is the 35th player to score 100 goals in the Premier League. It has taken him just 111 appearances, 13 fewer than the previous fastest (Alan Shearer in 124 apps).

• Manchester City conceded four goals and won a league game for the first time since December 1957 against Sheffield Wednesday (also 5-4).

• Fulham have lost a home league match while scoring as many as four goals for just the second time in their history, previously going down 4-6 against Leicester City in September 1952.

• Erling Haaland had one goal and two assists against Fulham. His first PL away match with 3+ GA since West Ham (31/08/2024).

Game Stats:

Fulham 4-5 Manchester City

• xG: 0.90 - 2.21

• xThreat: 1.2 - 1.43

• Possession: 56.8% - 43.2%

• Field Tilt: 57.9% - 42.1%

• Penalty Box Shots: 9 - 10

• Deep Entries: 9 - 11

• PPDA: 8.4 - 14.6

• High Turnovers: 5 - 7

Manchester City are undefeated when averaging less than 50% possession this season (4W 1D). The matches are United (H), Arsenal (A), Bournemouth (H), Liverpool (H), and Fulham (A).

Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias are the most used CB partnership so far this season, with 11 starts (8W 2D 1L).

Across all competitions, Manchester City now has two players with 10+ GA: Erling Haaland (23) and Phil Foden (11). The nearest players to joining them are Jeremy Doku (8), Rayan Cherki (7), and Tijjani Reijnders (7).

This season, Jeremy Doku has only completed a full ninety minutes 3 times. Subbed off in the second half for 13/15 starts he's made.

If you want to stay up-to-date on individual player minutes, back four combinations, underlying numbers, and more, check out the live Google sheet below. 👇

Manchester City set up with Silva dropping back to support in the buildup, and Nunes provided the width on the right side. Mostly, we saw O’Reilly inside as Doku was providing width on the left. Phil Foden is looking to find spaces between the lines. With Sessengnon narrow, ESR baited forward, there was plenty of space to work around Fulham on the right and Nunes to find Foden.

From the brief periods of pressing we did get to see, Doku or Haaland were ready to jump on the two central defenders should Leno pass, otherwise ready to manage the long ball with a +1 on the backline against Jimenez. Nico Gonzalez is tracking ESR movement. Reijnders and Silva are covering the pivots. If Iwobi drops, Foden tracked him inside.

Early in the game, Haaland has an excellent chance (6’) to open the scoring and reach 100 PL goals it goes out after hitting the post. Fulham is a little bit passive as Manchester City play through them out wide to Nunes, who fires it inside to Foden in the half-space, and he plays Haaland through 1v1.

E. Haaland 17’ 1-0

City recovers the ball high up the pitch. Short passes on the left side between Nico, O’Reilly, and Foden before firing it through to Doku on the flank 1v1 with Tete. Similar to the assist he provided for Haaland against Burnley, he fires the ball across the middle of the box for Haaland to step onto first time. Opening the scoring and reaching the milestone of 100 PL goals. Jeremy Doku has now provided four assists for Erling Haaland this season across all competitions.

It’s not long after that, Donnarumma gets down to make an excellent save (21’) after Iwobi managed to play a pass through three City players into the box for ESR. Watching back, Doku is out of position, and Foden doesn’t track the run of ESR, but it’s a great pass from an underrated player in Iwobi.

T. Reijnders 37’ 2-0

It’s through the lines from Dias into Haaland, takes a touch, and the defender jumps to open up the space for Reijnders to run into.

With what is probably the best assist he’s had. Haaland comes deeper, pulls two players towards him, turns back to face Reijnders and plays him through.

From there, it’s a simple chip by Reijnders into the far left corner to beat the rushing keeper Leno. Second goal for him this season across all competitions, and what feels like a springboard for him to build off in the December games to come.

P. Foden 44’ 3-0

It’s Reijnders taking the corners on the left side, which we’ve not seen much of lately, targeting the back-post with Doku positioned further out to jump on the ball cleared. Haaland and Silva on the keeper. Leno punches. Foden intercepts, takes a touch and finishes into the top left corner.

ESR 45'+2 3-1

Gvardiol gives away a poor corner to Fulham right at the end of the first half. Headed away by Foden at the near-post. Nunes chases, but his effort to clear is easily stopped by Iwobi, and he passes through for Wilson to cross. ESR is free at the top of the box. Excellent finish, but from a City point of view, you can’t allow Fulham to even get those opportunities.

At half time, Fulham made two changes with Chukwueze coming on for Lukic and Castagne for Tete. The former plays LW to move Iwobi into midfield, and the latter can be more aggressive as the right-back than Tete.

P. Foden 48’ 4-1

Dias blocks a Fulham pass into the penalty area, and Reijnders picks it up, plays a 1-2 with Haaland and finds Doku on the left side to drive the team up the pitch. Cuts inside, passes through to Erling inside the box.

Coming off his heels, lands perfectly for Foden to score at the back-post. Making it four against Fulham and a brace in consecutive games for him.

S. Berge (OG) 54’ 5-1

The fifth goal comes after a Fulham stop a pass into their penalty area, Doku wins it back and dribbles inside. Cuts onto his right foot to shoot. Taking a deflection off the left leg of Berge as he tried to block.

A. Iwobi 57’ 5-2

It’s a mix-up from Manchester City defending out on the left side as Gvardiol is dragged to the run behind ESR, NOR drops in his place, leaving Wilson free to cross as Doku hasn’t gotten back to support. Touch unfortunate as the cross deflects off Gvardiol and O’Reilly to fall perfectly for Iwobi to strike on the edge of the box. Although Donnarumma should have done better, and so should the four players in the way, not able to make a block.

Stones and Savinho come on for Nico and Doku (64’). Both are looking tired; some stray passes from Nico and Doku are struggling to keep up, tracking the Fulham players out wide on our left side. They were finding some joy in getting a player behind O’Reilly and dragging Gvardiol out to cover.

Well-worked chance from Manchester City followed shortly after that, finding Savinho 1v1, and he provides a cross to Haaland at the back-post. Great chance to make it 6-2 missed, which could have killed the game. Off the post.

Chukwueze 72’ 5-3

Another move in which Fulham is able to get a cross in from the left side. Overloading the defensive line now, which is what was pulling Stones deeper and away from covering the space at the top of the box. Bernardo's attempt to cut it out is poor, with the ball landing for Chukwueze to run onto. Neither is Foden able to get in position to make a block.

Chukwueze 78’ 5-4

The fourth goal and brace by Chukwueze comes shortly after, following a corner that Donnarumma punches softly into the space on the top of the box; no City player is there to deal with it. Again, Chukwueze can run onto the ball to strike.

To be fair to Donnarumma, no City player is contesting Bassey for the ball, and he’s right to make the punch. Fulham had two players attacking the back-post, which dragged Silva and NOR out of the way without Fulham even intending to work the ball to Chukwueze.

Cherki (82’) came on towards the end of the second half for Reijnders. Along with O’Reilly and Silva, those three were great at relieving some pressure through their carries up the pitch. Inevitably, it reduces the time left by Fulham to find another goal.

If you haven’t already, subscribe to get all this Manchester City content in your inbox.

Subscribe to Sky Blue Times

Moving Forward

After watching back the game against Fulham. There were too many instances of players having the opportunity to settle into sustained possession and instead playing forward after being 5-1 up. Forcing passes over the top, through legs into the box, and not managing the game. There wasn't one player making poor decisions on when to retain possession. Nico, Nunes, Stones, Silva, Doku, Reijnders, Foden, and so on, all had at least one each.

Doku sub made sense given how Fulham were causing some issues for City on the left side, pulling out NOR to get in behind and work some space to cross. Not enough support, nor did that improve much with Savinho. Fulham overloaded the backline towards the end of the half, which is why Stones was dropping back in the game and not defending the space at the top of the box as you'd expect.

It's not a game where Donnarumma in the buildup is relevant. Although I think a few players hid in moments when they should have been available. Two good long balls over the press from Donnarumma were wasted instead of turning them into chances.

It's a lesson that has to be learned quickly. Not a directive, but a collection of poor decisions in how to manage the game. Credit to O'Reilly, Cherki, and Silva who made a difference in managing out the final ten minutes. That approach was needed far earlier in the game. As much as Fulham scored some excellent chances, three were less than 0.06xG. You will face games against quality opposition in the future, and managing those moments will be key to winning the game.

Further to that, the individual mistakes must be cut out, which are a big driver in some of these games getting more difficult in the second half. We can praise the changes by Farke in the second half against Leeds, but both goals only come from the decisions Nunes and Gvardiol make.

As we’re looking at the options off the bench in the second half against Fulham, remembering the poor performance by many who wanted a chance to start against Leverkusen, it does bring January into focus. The team needs more from the squad, and it’s easy to see why an incoming player might be needed if others do not step up over December.

The injury to Kovacic, which is long-term, and the injury to Rodri, which he’s yet to return from, take two holding midfielders from the squad and leave only Nico Gonzalez. That’s why next summer they’ll be buying one, like Elliot Anderson. That’s why, in the short term, Guardiola will have to reassess his options until Rodri is back, as he mentioned post-match about using NOR in midfield and RAN at left-back.

Here is a look at the players to provide assists for Erling Haaland this season, with Jeremy Doku the clear leader, providing four. The standout for me is the variety of providers and ways to create chances for Haaland. There is no one creator to stop. There is no one route to stop.

Next up for Manchester City is Sunderland (H) on Saturday, the 6th of December at 15:00 (UK). It’s an extra day of rest for City as Sunderland play against Liverpool (A) on Wednesday night. Earning themselves a draw, and if not for the clearance by Chiesa, Sunderland could have picked up three points.

The second half against Fulham and Leeds is a reminder of how difficult these games can be if your performance level drops. If you make poor mistakes. The underlying numbers of Sunderland are not impressive (-6.1xGD), but the performances are. Beaten Forest and Chelsea away from home. Draws against Palace and Liverpool. Losses to Fulham (0-1), United (0-2), and Burnley (0-2). For the most part, they’ve not made it easy for teams to win and expect the same to follow on Saturday afternoon.

If you’re looking for more content, I’ve put out a YouTube video talking through the idea of signing Semenyo in January. What qualities would he provide, and where are there fair concerns? The improvements he’d need to make. Linked below. 👇