Match Preview
Manchester City vrs Fulham
Premier League Match Day 11 at Etihad Stadium
Saturday 5th December 2020 KO: 15:00
Referee:
Jonathan Moss (West Yorkshire)
Live on BT Sport 1
|
Fulham visit Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon with both sides coming into the match off the back of much-needed Premier League victories.
Fulham will no doubt go into the match knowing that any points they can get at the Etihad would be regarded as an unexpected bonus, although Monday night's 2-1 triumph away to Leicester City will have raised belief that they can come away with something.
The Foxes are flying high in the top four and hammered Man City themselves at the Etihad earlier this season, but Fulham produced a shock win at the King Power Stadium to climb out of the relegation zone.
Another win on Saturday would secure back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since April 2019 and successive top-flight away wins in the same season for the first time since May 2011.
That would be some turnaround for a team that lost seven of their opening nine games, and victories at the King Power and the Etihad would see them do so in style too.
However, if they are to achieve that notable double then they will need to overcome a poor record against Man City which has seen them lose all of their last nine meetings by an aggregate score of 27-3.
Fulham's winless run against the Citizens stretches to 15 games since April 2009 - including 12 defeats - while Man City have only ever failed to score in one of their 26 Premier League meetings with the Cottagers, and that was back in 2004.
Indeed, Fulham have only ever won four of their Premier League meetings with Man City in the past, although they may take a shred of comfort from the fact that three of those wins did come at the Etihad Stadium.
The return of fans will have to wait in Manchester, but City at least have the chance to make a significant climb up the table as they host the newly-promoted Cottagers.
However unpredictable, unprecedented and illogical the 2020-21 season has been so far, you would have still got long odds on Manchester City sitting in the bottom half of the table more than a quarter of the way into the campaign.
Pep Guardiola's side have unquestionably been a few steps off their best so far this term, and coming into this match their record of two wins from their last five league games is actually the same as opponents Fulham.
Things are not quite as bad as they might seem on first glance, though, and victory in this match could lift Man City from 11th all the way into the top four, while they also boast a game in hand over most other teams in the league.
Two of City's most reliable traits - consistency and goalscoring - have deserted them so far in 2020-21, but Guardiola will be hopeful that last weekend's 5-0 win over Burnley marks an end to that.
Those five goals were as many as they had managed in their previous six top-flight games, while victory over Fulham would give them back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time this season.
The goals were lacking again during Tuesday night's 0-0 Champions League draw at Porto but, given that Man City have already booked their place in the last 16, Guardiola will not be too concerned by their profligacy in Portugal.
What he will be concerned about is Man City winning only three of their last eight Premier League games, although they will be firm favourites to improve that statistic at home to Fulham this weekend.
The Citizens have won their last seven home games against promoted teams by an aggregate score of 21-1, and are unbeaten in their last 39 such matches stretching back to February 2007. Should they avoid defeat on Saturday then only Chelsea, with a 43-game streak between 2001 and 2015, would have had a longer such run in Premier League history.
-
Manchester City have won their past nine games against Fulham in all competitions by an aggregate score of 27-3.
-
Fulham are on a 15-match winless run against City in league and cup (D3, L12).
-
The Whites have gone seven hours and 51 minutes without a goal against City in all competitions.
-
The sides met in the FA Cup fourth round at Etihad Stadium in January, with City winning 4-0.
-
Fulham have won two of their past four league matches. They had previously taken just one point from their opening six games.
-
The Cottagers are attempting successive Premier League away victories for the first time since August 2013.
-
Scott Parker's side have seven points after 10 games, which is two more than they had at the same stage of their previous Premier League season in 2018-19.
-
They have lost 27 of their past 28 Premier League fixtures against the established top-six teams, drawing the other at Manchester United in February 2014.
-
Fulham have conceded a league-high 19 goals.
-
They have been awarded five league penalties this season, second only to Leicester's tally of eight.
-
Manchester City's tally of 15 points after nine fixtures is their lowest since 2008-09, when they had 13.
-
They are looking to win successive league games for the first time since a six-match sequence between July and September.
-
The five goals they scored against Burnley last weekend was as many as in their previous six league fixtures.
-
City are unbeaten in their last 39 Premier League home games against promoted opposition (W35, D4).
-
Riyad Mahrez, with four league goals, is the only player to score more than twice in the top flight for City this term.
-
If selected, Phil Foden will be making his 50 Premier League appearance. Only two other City players have reached that landmark before their 21st birthday,