Match Preview
Manchester City vrs Fulham
Premier League Match Day 04 22_23 at Etihad Stadium
Saturday 2nd September 2023, KO: 15:00
Referee:
Michael Oliver (Northumberland)
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Fulham head off to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday where Manchester City will endeavour to preserve their perfect start to the new Premier League season
After suffering a disappointing 3-0 home defeat to Brentford, Fulham have since responded well by claiming two positive results against North London duo Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, drawing with the former in the Premier League before beating the latter in the EFL Cup.
The Cottagers were trailing 2-1 with 10 men heading into the final seven minutes of last Saturday's league clash at the Emirates Stadium, but Joao Palhinha fired home an 87th-minute equaliser to snatch a point.
Marco Silva served a one-game touchline ban for the visit of Spurs in the EFL Cup second round on Tuesday, but he had plenty to smile about from the stands as his Fulham side secured a 5-3 victory on penalties following a 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage, and they have been rewarded with a third-round draw at home to Norwich City.
Fulham will hope to head into the international break on a high with another positive result, but that could prove challenging as they have lost each of their last nine visits to the Etihad Stadium; not since a 3-1 win in April 2009 under former boss Roy Hodgson have Fulham picked up all three points on the blue side of Manchester.
The Cottagers put up a fight against Man City in both home and away fixtures last season, but they came out on the wrong side of 2-1 scorelines, with Erling Haaland netting a dramatic 95th-minute winner from the penalty spot to prevent Silva's men from claiming a point in their last visit to the Etihad nine months ago.
Manchester City left it late to beat Sheffield United 2-1 away from home last weekend.
When taking a quick glance at Man City's dominant statistics against Sheffield United last weekend, boasting 80% possession and 30 attempts on goal, one would assume that the reigning champions came away from Bramall Lane with a comfortable victory.
Maximum points were secured, but the Citizens did it the hard way as Erling Haaland – who missed a first-half penalty – saw his second-half opener cancelled out in the 85th minute by Jayden Bogle, only for Champions League hero Rodri to respond three minutes later with a thunderous match-winner into the top corner to save City's bacon.
Although manager Pep Guardiola – recovering from back surgery in Barcelona – watched on from afar, assistant coach Juanma Lillo insisted that the Catalan boss was "totally present" for his 200th Premier League victory – reaching that landmark in just 269 games to break an all-time English top-flight record.
Man City now sit pretty at the Premier League summit as the only top-flight team with a 100% record after three games this season, and they will fancy their chances of extending their winning streak on Saturday considering their impressive home form.
Indeed, the Citizens' 1-0 victory against Newcastle United two weeks ago was their 17th consecutive win at the Etihad Stadium in all competitions, setting a new club record, and in this period they have scored a remarkable 55 goals while conceding only seven.
Man City have also won each of their last 14 meetings with Fulham in all tournaments; only the Citizens themselves have ever had a longer winning run against an opponent in English football history (15 versus Watford).
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A victory for Manchester City would see them tie their own record for the most consecutive wins in English football against an opponent (15), which they currently hold versus Watford.
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Fulham are without a win in 20 matches versus City since a 3-1 victory at the Etihad Stadium in April 2009.
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The Cottagers have scored only two goals in their last nine games against City at the Etihad, conceding 27.
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City have scored in their last 30 games against Fulham in all competitions dating back to 0-0 draw in March 2004.
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Fulham lost all eight of their league games against the teams that finished in the top four last season, but have already drawn 2-2 at Arsenal so far in this campaign
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Marco Silva's side are unbeaten in their opening two away fixtures of a top-flight season for only the third time, after the 1964-65 and 2010-11 campaigns
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They have won just three of their 28 top-flight away matches versus the reigning champions
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The Cottagers are without a win in their last 30 Premier League matches against the two Manchester clubs (D5, L25), dating back to a 3-0 victory over Manchester United in 2009. This is the longest ever winless league run by a team against United and City in Football League history
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A defeat would see Silva equal the Premier League record for the most matches as a manager against an opponent without winning a single point (nine), currently held by Gary Megson in games versus Liverpool
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Silva has lost against City with four different teams - Hull, Watford, Everton and Fulham.
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Manchester City are looking to win their opening four matches to a top-flight season for the eighth time, and for the first since 2016-17. However, the only time they have gone on to win the title having done so was in the 2011-12 campaign under Roberto Mancini
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City have won a club record 17 consecutive home matches in all competitions in 2023 by an aggregate score of 55-7
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They have won 34 of their last 36 games at the Etihad with the two exceptions coming in back-to-back league games last season: 1-2 versus Brentford and 1-1 against Everton
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Julian Alvarez has scored 13 goals in 13 home starts for City in all competitions
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Erling Haaland has netted 35 goals in 27 home appearances for City in all competitions, but he's failed to score in his last four at the Etihad.
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Source Oliver Thomas at SportsMole