Fulham 0, Manchester City 3
Sergio Aguero scored his first Premier League goal in 14 months as Manchester City beat Fulham to move within 14 points of the Premier League title.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Cottagers had successfully held City until the second half when costly mistakes saw John Stones, Gabriel Jesus, and Aguero finish off the game before the hour mark to chalk up a 17 point lead over United in second place.
City boss Pep Guardiola was delighted with the performance against a Fulham side that held City for over 45 minutes, saying:
“It was a great performance against a physical team with good ideas.
“The beginning of the second half was important, we are closer to the title.
“We didn’t make mistakes, defended well, made a good build up and scored our goals.
He was also delighted for both his strikers to get on the score sheet against Fulham, adding:
“It was important for both strikers to score goals. The pressing for the second and third goals was good.”
Guardiola was particularly pleased for the clean sheet as City prepared for tough games to come after City switched to knockout competitions against Borussia Monchengladbach and Everton.
He said: “Now we have three weeks until the next Premier League games – and two finals in the Champions League and FA Cup.”
It was a first start for Aguero and Jesus together since February 2020 (against West Ham) and they were up against a Fulham side missing Bobby Decordova-Reid through injury but with ex-City defender Tosin Adarabioyo in the side.
They were joined in the starting line up by Benjamin Mendy as Pep Guardiola rang the changes ahead of next week’s Champions League game against Borussia Monchengladbach.
Stones, Joao Cancelo, Mendy, Rodri, Ferran Torres, Aguero, and Jesus came into the side as City boss Pep Guardiola made seven changes from the side that beat Southampton in midweek.
Kyle Walker, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Kevin De Bruyne, Fernandinho, Ilkay Gundogan, Riyad Mahrez, and Phil Foden were rested.
Fulham had claimed five clean sheets out of their last seven games and looked just as mean against a City side without many of their in-form attacking players in the starting line-up.
City’s squad players needed game time and rhythm for the run-in but they were thwarted by Scott Parker’s men who were fighting for their lives against relegation.
The first goal action took place in the 18th minute with Alphonse Areola blocking Ferran Torres’ shot from an acute angle after City finally prised open the Fulham defence with a through ball from Joao Cancelo.
Areola dived on a cross by Cancelo before the ball could reach Jesus who was waiting for the tap-in soon afterwards.
City were being tested thoroughly by Fulham but Bernardo Silva skipped into the area with City slowly getting a grip on the game but didn’t get any power on his shot which allowed Areola to save it at his near post.
Mendy blocked a shot by Kenny Tete as the home side briefly worried City.
Aguero, who captained City on the night, had a slow start but got a shot off just before half time but his effort was gathered up by Areola.
City finally got their breakthrough at the start of the second half, with John Stones getting on the scoresheet again.
After first half frustration, City break the deadlock to win and Sergio Aguero scores his first Premier League goal in 14 months
The City defender got on the end of a free kick and poked the ball past Areola on the half volley just a 76 seconds into the second period for his fifth goal of the year.
He almost conceded one right away though after a ball into the box came off his heel and into the path of Ruben Loftus-Cheek but Ederson dived on it.
Rodri fired straight at Areola after Bernardo Silva skipped between two defenders and cut the ball back for him.
And Jesus then punished a defensive error by Ivan Cavaleiro outside his box after 56 minutes to allow the Brazilian to round Areola and fire past Adarabioyo to double City’s lead – his 12th goal of the season.
Adarabioyo then gave away a spot kick after bringing Ferran Torres down in the area trying to atone for losing the ball which gave Aguero the chance to end his 14 month (417 day) Premier League goal drought from the penalty spot with only his third goal of an injury ravaged season.
Remarkably, it also meant the Aguero and Jesus had notched up 24 goals on their 13th start together in the Premier League, with Aguero taking 15 of those and Jesus responsible for 9.
Aleksandar Mitrovic was brought on after 63 minutes as Parker decided to bring on a striker for Loftus-Cheek to try and reduce the deficit while Bernardo Silva was taken off 4 minutes later for Fernandinho.
Josh Onomah was Fulham’s next change with 17 minutes to go, replacing Mario Lemina while Ruben Dias was given a rest – with Eric Garcia coming on for him for the last 15 minutes.
Fulham’s final change was to bring on Antonee Robinson for Cavaleiro with 10 minutes to go.
City were coasting but Mitrovic slipped in Onomah for a shot which was blocked by Laporte while Mitrovic himself had a shot blocked but that turned out to be the only threat to another clean sheet for Ederson.
GOALS – Fulham 0, Manchester City 3
Fulham 0, Man City 1: 47. John Stones beat the offside trap to poke Joao Cancelo’s free kick past Alphonse Areola on the half volley after Stones had beaten the Fulham offside trap.
Fulham 0, Man City 2: 56. Gabriel Jesus seized on an error by Ivan Cavaleiro to get the ball, round Alphonse Areola, and fire past Tosin Adarabioyo to double City’s score.
Fulham 0, Man City 3: 60. Sergio Aguero scored with a solid penalty to the left of Alphonse Areola after Ferran Torres was brought down by Tosin Adarabioyo to concede the spot kick.
MATCH STATS – Fulham 0, Manchester City 3
Fulham: Areola, Tete, Andresen, Adarabioyo. Aina, Anguissa, Reed, Loftus-Cheek (Mitrovic 63), Lemina (Onomah 73), Cavaleiro (Robinson 75), Lookman
Fulham subs not used: Fabri, Hector, Ream, Bryan, Maja, Kongolo
Man City: Ederson, Stones, Dias (Garcia 75), Laporte, Cancelo, Rodri, Bernardo Silva (Fernandinho 67), Mendy, Torres, Jesus, Aguero
Man City subs not used: Steffen, Walker, Gundogan, Zinchenko, De Bruyne, Mahrez, Foden
Goals: Stones 47; Jesus 56; Aguero 60 pen
Referee: Andre Marriner