Manchester City Beat Fulham, 3-0: Reaction & Media

Manchester City turned the Etihad into a statement stage on Saturday, sweeping aside Fulham 3-0 to keep the Premier League title race on a knife-edge. From the first whistle the champions looked intent on erasing any emotional hangover from their mid-week epic against Liverpool, and by the final whistle the scoreboard reflected their dominance.

City’s press pinned Fulham deep, and the breakthrough arrived through the relentless movement of Semenyo and Haaland, who combined to unlock the visitors before the half-hour mark. Bernardo Silva’s quick feet and even quicker mind made it 2-0 shortly after, and when Phil Foden curled a third before the break the contest was effectively over.

The second period became an exercise in game-management. Ain Nouri’s energy down the left and Khusanov’s laser-focus at centre-back ensured Fulham rarely threatened, while Rodri’s metronomic passing kept City in control until fatigue finally showed in the closing ten minutes.

Post-match, the manager praised the collective response. “It was not easy after incredible emotions against Liverpool. If we allowed them to play it would be tough,” he said. “The first half was top. It was a really good performance. I’m so happy for the guys. They showed that we can do good things.”

He was quick to single out the unsung graft behind the glamour goals. “Bernardo was exhausted, Rodri was exhausted. He didn’t lose one ball and then in the second half he lost 10 balls. The back four was so solid.” On the debutant, he added: “Khusanov with his incredible focus brought stability.”

The victory trims the gap at the summit to three points, though the boss cautioned that Arsenal’s game in hand means the margin could shift again within 24 hours. “It’s not three points [the gap to Arsenal]. After the game tomorrow it may not be three points, we’ll see. We know each other quite well.”

For now, City have reminded the league that the chase is alive, and that on this form they remain the team to catch.