Manchester City moved within two points of Premier League leaders Arsenal after surviving a dramatic late surge from Fulham in a nine-goal spectacle at Craven Cottage.
Pep Guardiola’s men looked set for a routine victory when they raced into a 5–1 lead early in the second half. Erling Haaland reached the landmark of 100 Premier League goals faster than any player in history, Phil Foden scored twice for the second straight league match, while Tijjani Reijnders and Jeremy Doku (via a deflection off Sander Berge) added to City’s tally.
But what followed was near mayhem.
Fulham sparked an astonishing comeback attempt, starting with Alex Iwobi’s finish after Emile Smith-Rowe had opened the scoring for the hosts. Substitute Samuel Chukwueze then stepped on and instantly changed the dynamic of the match, scoring twice to drag Fulham to within a single goal at 5–4.
The home fans sensed a miracle, and they almost got one deep into stoppage time — but Josko Gvardiol cleared Josh King’s goal-bound effort off the line to preserve City’s narrow advantage.
Guardiola admitted after the match that the closing minutes “took years off” him, joking about losing even more hair while pacing the technical area. He applauded the attacking brilliance of his side but demanded better defensive composure, calling some of the goals conceded “avoidable.”
Haaland, meanwhile, said joining the 100-goal club was a “proud moment,” adding that he could “absolutely” score another 100 for the club. He also noted he should have scored a hat-trick after striking the post late in the game.
Marco Silva praised his Fulham players for their extraordinary fight and said they “probably deserved the fifth goal” after their relentless push in the final stages.
City remain firmly in the title race, but Guardiola made it clear: performances like this leave no room for complacency.
