Fulham 0-3 Manchester City || the-gorilla Match Report

With the last match of the day, I was finally able to sit down, put my feet up and enjoy some football. Contrary to all of the predictions I read on World of Football pre-match ("Manchester City Set to Extend Their Lead at the Top as They Face Fulham at the Craven Cottage Tomorrow" by @chimzycash and "EPL Match Week 29 Fixtures: My Take and Predictions" by @tomlee), I felt Fulham were good enough to get something out of this game (boldly stating as much in the comments sections). With the swathe of changes in attacking areas for Man City, there was certainly a question mark as to whether Torres, Jesus and Aguero would click having played very little together.

The 1st half was evenly matched with Man City perhaps looking the more threatening, without really threatening. Ferran Torres, Bernado Silva and Sergio Aguero having shots on target without ever really testing Areola and as with most of the matches I end up watching, it was 0-0 at half time.

I felt that Fulham were brave and trusted their ability following good recent performances. They pressed high, pressed hard (Anguissa and Lemina in particular) and were confident enough in possession playing their usual game, building from the back. Man City played a similar game, pressing even higher and passing the ball with confidence. To have 2 teams pressing high and passing confidently was (to coin a cliche), a game of chess in the 1st half. The difference you could see in Man City that you didn't in Fulham was (unsurprisingly) more attacking intent, particularly with the movement from the likes of Cancelo, Mendy and John Stones regularly making forward runs. You felt that if things clicked, Man City would break through but it didn't quite happen for them in the 1st half.

So to concede a goal from a set piece at the beginning of the 2nd half would certainly have hurt Scott Parker and his men. John Stones easily losing his marker to tap in a Joao Cancelo Cross. Having not had a shot in the 1st half, you feared it was game over, and the World of Football consensus was correct.

And if the manner of the 1st goal will have upset Scott Parker, the 2nd will have left him with his head in the hands. Andersen playing the ball into his team mate Cavaleiro, gifting the ball to Gabriel Jesus, putting him through on goal, rounding the keeper and confidently striking home. If Fulham had a sniff at 1-0. you knew it was game over now. They still hadn't had a shot, and somehow needed to score 2 goals.

Both teams continued to play their own game, as they had done in the 1st half but Man City were cruising now so the likes of Cancelo, Mendy and Stones didn't need to make those forward runs. With half an hour to go, Aderebayo made a silly tackle on Torres on the corner of the penalty area to gift Man City a penalty. Sergio Aguero took the opportunity to end the longest goal drought of his career, slotting it just out of Areola's reach. Another Fulham mistake, their 3rd of the game and another goal conceded. Cruel on Fulham and with 30 minutes to go, you just hoped it wouldn't get embarassing. And it didn't (Fulham even managed a shot). Man City had done what they needed to do and move 17 points clear at the top having played 2 games more.

In the end, a comfortable 3-0 win in which Fulham will be cursing their mistakes. They've not made a lot of mistakes recently and those that we saw tonight are the sort that will get a team relegated. For Manchester City, it was a night where the likes of De Bruyne and Gundogan could get a well earned rest before turning their attention to the Champions League on Tuesday and squad(?!) players like Aguero and Torres getting a good 90 minutes.

👇 Match Highlights from SkySports YouTube Channel
(Click through from the "watch this video on YouTube" link in the video)