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Half-Time: Fulham 1-2 Manchester City
That’ll be that for the opening 45. Fulham still in this thanks to a tasty strike from Vinicius. Haaland’s early penalty took him to 50 and Alvarez’s sumptuous curler into the top corner moved the visitors back in front.
Been a fun half. Back in a bit.
45+5 min: Haaland chases down a lost cause and gets ahead of Adarabioyo. He keeps it alive and crosses twice but each time Fulham resist.
45+3: The corner from Wilson is cleared right in front of Ederson. Fulham tried to crowd the City six yard box but Gundogan as the first man gets his head to it. Wilson gets another chance to cross but over hits it.
45+2 min: A firm header from Stones clears the danger but it’s back in a dangerous zone from a whipped cross. Akanji scuffs his header for another corner.
45 min: Dias, under almost no pressure, hoofs the ball out for a throw. That’s gone backwards off his boot. A long throw and then a cross into the box falls for Tete who crunches a shot. It’s away for a corner. Chance for Fulham before the break.
44 min: Fulham aren’t the sort of side who lump it long and even agains the champions they’re passing it on the ground. Fair play to them. Unfortunately for them, they can’t work any space in the final third.
43 min: They’re showing Alvarez’s goal again on Sky. Check it out:
Stuart Armstrong has given Southampton the lead at Newcastle. Huge goal at either end of the table.
41 min: Gorgeous from City. Marhez with the twinkle toes before sliding in Gundogan against the grain. His cutback shot is smothered by Leno. It’s like they’ve stepped it up at will after the goal.
40 min: City flexing now. Fulham can’t get near them. Feels like there are two Gundogans on the park.
Bruno Fernandes has scored against Aston Villa. United lead 1-0.
36 min: That came off the back of Fulham dallying on the ball in midfield. They were picked off, Gundogan moved it on at pace and before the defence could settle Alvarez had it at his feet.
GOAL! Fulham 1-2 Man City (Alvarez, 36)
GOLAZZO!!! That’s a stunner. Alavarez doesn’t have options from outside the box so he whips it with his right foot into the top left corner, curving it away from a diving Leno. What a hit.
33 min: Grealish is shooting again from about the same spot, just inside the box on the left. He drops a shoulder and opens his body. This time it’s deflected and Leno gathers. It’s the same trick over and over but you get the sense that he’ll produce some magic before this one’s out.
Elsewhere, Patrick Bamford has scored to pull one back against Bournemouth. Leeds still 2-1 behind.
31 min: Stones finds Akanji who brings down a ball from a different stratosphere with the most delicate control on his thigh. Grealish is at the byline but can’t find a teammate with his cutback.
29 min: Reed is having an influence in the middle. That’s another ball stolen and he then shakes off two City players to retain possession. Reid also jiggles around a couple of tacklers. This is sharp from Fulham. At least it was until Walker’s extra pace means he comes away with the ball near the touchline.
28 min: It was a good save from Leno but you expect him to make it. Grealish telegraphed the shot. Had he gone to the near post he might have had more luck.
27 min: Grealish has hit the post! Leno made the save and tipped it onto the upright. Grealish again in space on the left receives a diagonal ball. He then controls, opens his body and looks for the far corner. It doesn’t quite have the elevation so Leno can get a hand to it.
25 min: Fulham again disrupt a slow City build up and the crowd roar as they counter. But City are too sharp and steal it back. Haaland collects a long ball from the halfway line. He tries to work the space but loses his footing and bobbles it out for a goal kick. Strong defence from Adarabioyo.
Rick Harris is sticking the boot in (though to be fair he sent this before Ream left with an injury):
“It is interesting that if you discount the fool who invented the curse that is the internet, notable Tims are pretty hard to find. Tim Ream could however be long remembered as the guy who gave Haaland his 50th goal of the season after just two minutes in this game.
‘Oh Tim’ doesn’t begin to describe such colossal clumsiness.”
23 min: Better from Fulham. They’re starting to pressure City without the ball and Haaland is forced to come deep to help out.
22 min: Fulham string a slick move down the left and an inside ball is expertly dummied but Reid on the charge through the middle isn’t on the same wavelength. Almost. Had he controlled he would have been through on goal.
20 min: Yes indeed. Ream’s right arm is in a makeshift sling fashioned from his shirt. Maybe his shoulder. It was a nasty fall as he got in a mess with Alvarez. He’s making his way off the pitch. Issa Diop comes on.
19 min: There’s a delay as Ream receives treatment. He looks in genuine pain. Not sure what’s ailing him but there’s movement in the Fulham bench. Not looking good for the skipper.
James Boyle has solved the Premier League’s most pressing problem:
“Hi Daniel. This may a weird thought but what about Haaland playing one season for say 10 different EPL teams – could be on lottery basis. This would bring joy to the lucky clubs fans and we’d get to see how good he was while playing for Wolves, Spurs etc. Might spread the honours around a little?”
Where do I place my vote in favour of this?
18 min: Ream gets in a proper tangle and almost gifts Alvarez the ball at the byline. But a brilliant recovery tackle from a retreating Palhinha snuffs out the danger.
16 min: Crikey, football eh? It just shows that if you produce a bit of quality in this low scoring sport you can steal a result. Long way to go but that will give Fulham confidence that if they can hold firm at the back they’ve got a chance.
GOAL! Fulham 1-1 Man City (Vinicius, 15)
Oh wow! What a goal! Where has that come from? A long ball to Wilson into the box and the header back lands for Vinicius who lashes it past a statuesque Ederson.
14 min: Haaland gets the ball as he’s moving away from goal. He holds it up, pivots and feeds Grealish on an overlap down the inside left channel. Grealish opens his body to shoot but it’s a tame effort along the ground straight to Leno. Should have done better there.
13 min: Gundogan is running the show. He picks out Marhez in space but Robinson doesn’t dive in, stands his ground and makes another good tackle.
12 min: An excellent cover tackle from Robinson hacks it away from Marhez just as he was about to latch onto a sweeping diagonal from Gundogan.
10 min: City are so good at taking their time. Other teams would be looking for that killer pass. They recycle it knowing there’ll be other options. Fulham do win the ball back in midfield and eventually Vinicus has it in the box. But he can’t turn and shoot.
8 min: Good feet from Stones keeps it moving. Walker then switches to Grealish who cuts back onto his right foot before dinking a ball in the mixer. Alvarez nods it to the back post and Mahrez volleys firmly, but straight at Leno. Wouldn’t have counted as the Algerian was offside. Still, lovely play as they switched gears.
7 min: Haaland is really strong and holds the ball up to keep it moving. City playing with a back two almost. Walker is essentially serving as a winger.
6 min: Fulham counter but City nick it back as if they have an extra man on the field. I fear for Fulham. I really do.
6 min: Mahrez has it inside the box on the right. He twists and turns and looks to move it onto his left foot for a shooting chance. He does so but comes back again and loses it.
5 min: City are just as ruthless without the ball. They pick their moment to press and steal it from Fulham. Walker seeing a lot of it on the right.
4 min: Is that the game already?
GOAL! Fulham 0-1 Man City (Haaland, 3 pen)
50 goals this season for one of the most phenomenal footballers I’ve ever seen. He smashes the penalty to Leno’s left but it hits the side netting before the keeper reaches it.
2 min: Haaland 50 loading. Gundoagan sprays a brilliant ball out to Grealish who floats in a cross to the far post. It bounces and Alavarez is floored by Ream. No question about it. Penalty given.
1 min: As I said. Stones further ahead between the midfield and the back three.
Formation update: According to the graphics on Sky City are playing a 4-5-1 with Stones in the back four. I’m not sure that’s exactly how they’ll line up. I can see Stones playing a little higher up alongside Rodri with Gundogan in a 10 role and Alavarez darting about.
Anyway, the whistle has sounded and away we go!
The players are filing out of the tunnel and onto the pitch. Fulham in their classic white with black shorts, City in their changed strip of diagonal black and red stripes. Not a fan of that bit of gear I must say.
I was so focussed on Haaland and his imminent half century that I failed to mention that there’s no Kevin De Bruyne this afternoon.
He picked up a “niggle” in the win over Arsenal and was substituted with 10 minutes to go after scoring twice.
I LOVE this from Eric Petersen:
“Good morning from Pittsburgh! I’m dating myself with this, but Meat Loaf has been playing on repeat in my head most of the weekend, with revised lyrics:
And the Premier League gives us
The drop zone
The top four
But there ain’t no way the title’s up for grabs still
Now don’t be sad
‘Cause two out of three ain’t bad”
I was wondering when I’d get my first bit of Arsenal related correspondence and Rick Harris, in an email titled ‘Ha ha ha ha Haaland’ duly delivers:
“Hi Daniel, I think it is fair to say that Arsenal have done a Newcastle 1996 and all we really needed before their 4-1 thrashing at the hands of the current and likely continuing PL champions was Arteta to lose his rag and splutter ‘I will love it if we beat them’. I really can’t see Fulham having the ability, desire or sheer bloody mindedness to thwart City today and Haaland will undoubtedly score goal 50 of a truly incredible season.”
Fulham are experiencing something of a dip in form. They’ve lost three of their last five and have won just two of their previous seven league games.
They’re leaking goals at the back, conceding 13 from their last eight without a clean sheet.
This does not bode well in a game where they’re on the wrong end of a 4-28 aggregate score from the previous ten meetings with City.
Fulham are 10th on the table but they’re now safe with 45 points. So it’s not too serious where they finish but after once dreaming of a spot in Europe they’ll want to stop the slide and retain their top half finish.
If you haven’t already done so, I highly recommend you read Donald McRae’s interview with Andriy Shevchenko. A staggering story brilliantly told.
As if to underline Fulham’s impressive improvement, City needed a 95th minute penalty from Haaland to secure all three points back in Manchester earlier in the season. Alvarez, who starts today, bagged the opener before a penalty from Pereira levelled it before the break. After more than an hour without another goal it looked like Fulham would snatch a draw Haaland squeezed his spot kick under Leno.
“Hi Daniel,”
Hey Richard Hirst. Thanks for checking in.
“It’s a mark of how far Fulham have come that I’m regarding this game as the proverbial ‘free hit’, whereas in seasons past fixtures against Man City followed by Liverpool would have been the sealing of our inevitable relegation. Marco Silva has done a great job with a team that has a majority of players who played for us in the Championship. I’m not sure he has had the recognition he deserves.”
I’ve done a few MBMs on Fulham this season and they’ve completely won me over. Full credit to Silva and the players, and the crowd at Craven Cottage. I know the discourse around Fulham can be patronising at times but they’re honestly a delightful club and I hope they continue to rise.
And you’re right, Richard, this is a free swing. Maybe they’ll thwack it out the park…
City have rather enjoyed playing Fulham recently. They’re on a 13 game winning streak and haven’t lost in 20 game stretching back to 12 April 2009.
Funny enough, that 3-1 reverse was played at the City of Manchester Stadium with a Clint Dempsey double and another from Dickson Etuhu overcoming an early strike from Stephen Ireland.
A pair of Bulgarians in Valery Bozhinov and Martin Petrov led the line for City that day with Nedum Onuoha and Micah Richards partnering at the back.
Two of our heavy hitters have had their say on perhaps the Premier League’s heaviest hitter of all time. Does that work? You know what I mean.
Manchester City are very good, but is that very good for English football?
Jonathan Wilson compares this treble charge to the one pulled off by Manchester United in ‘99 and wonders if we’ve grown bored with watching the lions tear apart Christians in the Colosseum.
And Barney Ronay wonders if that cold shiver we feel when we watch City run through teams isn’t fear but ennui.
Haaland one short of 50
City have named three at the back with Stones in a midfield role. They’ll be expected to boss the ball which is good news for the striking Viking up top who is one goal away from a staggering half century in what is surely the most impressive debut season in Premier League history.
Manchester City 3-4-3: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Akanji, Stones, Gundogan, Rodri, Alvarez, Grealish, Mahrez, Haaland.
Substitutes: Phillips, Silva, Gomez, Perrone, Foden, Ortega, Carson, Laporte, Lewis.
Today's team! 💥
XI | Ederson, Walker, Stones, Dias, Akanji, Rodrigo, Gundogan (C), Mahrez, Grealish, Alvarez, Haaland
SUBS | Ortega Moreno, Carson, Phillips, Laporte, Bernardo, Gomez, Perrone, Foden, Lewis#ManCity | @HaysWorldwide pic.twitter.com/RnMX6mz13Q
Vinicius leads line for Fulham
The Brazilian up top will hopefully have a busy day with the ball at his feet, but it’s not hard to envisage a tough afternoon chasing shadows and long balls. Can he make any of them stick and link up with a stacked midfield?
Fulham 4-5-1: Leno, Tete, Adarabioyo, Ream (C), Robinson, Reed, Wilson, De Cordova-Reid, Pereira, Palhinha, Vinicius.
Substitutes: Kebano, Cairney, James, Lukic, Rodak, Solomon, Duffy, Soares, Diop.
Preamble
Daniel Gallan
How do we describe Manchester City? A Google search for “Manchester City machine” yields 306,000 results. “Manchester City juggernaut” produces 7,590 hits. “Manchester City unstoppable” comes up with 4,380.
It seems we’ve run out of superlatives for a team that is on track to win a treble in third gear. Except I’ve found one that we haven’t explored yet.
“Manchester City blob” comes up with zero pages on Google. But that is what they are. Though they move the ball at breakneck speed, whizzing it around hapless defenders who must feel as if they’ve been caught in a cyclone, Manchester City as a collective have consumed English football like the slow crawling Blob monster in the 1958 science fiction horror film starring Steve McQueen.
There’s nothing anyone can do about it. There’s no reasoning with it. By the end of the film the carnivorous jelly-like alien remains intact and insatiably hungry. It isn’t thwarted. It’s just shipped off to Antarctica where it’ll hopefully freeze.
Unfortunately for every other side in the Premier League, that isn’t an option here. And next up in City’s sights are Fulham, a team that has punched well above its weight for most of the campaign.
The smart money is on the Blob consuming another victim. Whether they play through the middle, spread it wide, tiki-taka it around or send it long to the big lad with the luscious locks, this result feels inevitable.
But this is football and upsets do occur. A Fulham win would do wonders for a title race that has all but eroded and certainly prove that Pep’s boys are of this world, and not a cluster of creatures from a far off galaxy.
We (everyone but City fans) can hope for something unpredictable. Unless of course the Blob has arrived in west London with an appetite.
Kick off at 2pm BST. Teams and updates to follow.
English (US)