Match Preview
Fulham vrs Manchester City
Premiership Match Day 38 24/25 at Craven Cottage
Sunday 25th May 2025 KO: 16:00
Referee:
Andy Madley (West Yorkshire)
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Fulham face Manchester City at Craven Cottage on Sunday afternoon in their final Premier League fixture of the 2024-25 season .
After months of harbouring aspirations of qualifying for Europe for the first time since 2011-12, Fulham are unable to sneak into Conference League contention following a run of six defeats in their last 10 Premier League games.
The Cottagers came from behind to beat West London rivals Brentford 3-2 away from home last time out, with goals from Raul Jimenez, Harry Wilson and captain Tom Cairney helping them to break their all-time Premier League points tally for a single season (54), just two years on from winning the Championship title.
However, it is now mathematically impossible for Marco Silva's men to finish above eighth-placed Brighton & Hove Albion, who sit four points above Fulham in 10th following their 3-2 win over champions Liverpool on Monday.
The Cottagers will now target finishing above Brentford in ninth spot which would represent their highest top-flight finish for 13 years. However, defeat on Sunday could see them slip to as low as 12th place if both Bournemouth and Crystal Palace win their respective final-day fixtures.
Fulham beat Luton Town 4-2 on the final day last season after failing to win their last league match in any of the previous six seasons (D1 L5).
Coming out on top again this weekend could prove challenging as they are winless in 19 PL meetings with Man City (D3 L16), losing each the last 14 in a row; their last victory against the Citizens was back in April 2009 at the Etihad Stadium under former manager Roy Hodgson.
Manchester City picked up all three points the last time they faced the Cottagers in October last year when they came out on top by a 3-2 scoreline at the Etihad Stadium.
Three days after losing the FA Cup final for the second successive year, this time at the hands of Crystal Palace, Man City bounced back from their Wembley disappointment and secured an important 3-1 home win over Bournemouth on Tuesday night to strengthen their grip on a top-five spot in the Premier League.
Kevin De Bruyne may have missed a first-half sitter in his Etihad farewell match, but the Citizens legend - soon to be honoured with a statue - was given a fitting send-off ahead of his summer departure and bowed out in front of his adoring sky blue public with a victory, courtesy of goals from Omar Marmoush, Bernardo Silva and Nico Gonzalez.
Pep Guardiola's men were down in sixth before claiming three precious points against the Cherries to help them climb up to third in the Premier League table. Man City are now in the driving seat to qualify for the Champions League as they sit two points ahead of Newcastle United, Chelsea and Aston Villa in the three places directly below them.
Victory against Fulham this weekend would guarantee third spot for Man City, while there is a slim chance of finishing second, but Arsenal are required to surprisingly lose to Southampton along with a nine-goal swing in goal difference. Should the Gunners avoid defeat, it will be just the second time in 16 seasons as a top-flight manager that Guardiola has finished outside the top two (also third in 2016-17).
Finishing anywhere inside the top five would provide Citizens supporters with some respite from a turbulent campaign without a major trophy to celebrate for the first time in seven years. A draw would all but certainly be enough to edge themselves over the line, but a defeat at Craven Cottage could see City slip out of the top five and settle for Europa League qualification if other results also go against them.
Man City, who boast a nine-game unbeaten run in the top-fight (W6 D3), will fancy their chances of success on Sunday, as they have won each of their last 17 meetings with Fulham across all competitions - including a 4-0 win at Craven Cottage last season - the longest winning run one English league team has had against another in history.
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Fulham are winless in 19 Premier League meetings, losing the last 14 in a row. Their most recent victory was in April 2009 at the Etihad Stadium.
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The Cottagers' only Premier League home win in 16 attempts against Manchester City was by 2-1 in November 2005 under Chris Coleman (D5, L10).
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Manchester City have beaten Fulham in each of the past 17 encounters in all competitions. It's the longest winning run one English league side has had against another in history.
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Fulham have lost consecutive home league games, despite opening the scoring in both of them.
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They have come from behind at half time to win in five Premier League matches this season, a feat only previously managed by Manchester United in 2020-21 and Manchester City last year.
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A league-high 17 of their goals this season have been scored by substitutes. Those goals have been worth 17 points, which is also the most of any side in the division.
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They have scored 54 goals, one shy of their most in a Premier League campaign, set in each of the previous two seasons.
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Fulham have suffered nine league defeats in 2025, with only the current bottom four sides faring worse.
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Raul Jimenez has opened the scoring in nine Premier League fixtures this season, equalling the club record for a single campaign, set by Dimitar Berbatov in 2012-13.
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Manchester City have lost 16 games in all competitions this season – their most since 2008-09, when they suffered 23 defeats.
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However, they could finish 2024-25 with a season's best 10-match unbeaten league run.
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City have won their final Premier League fixture in nine of the past 11 seasons, with the exceptions being a 1-1 draw at Swansea in 2016 and a 1-0 loss at Brentford in 2023).
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They have failed to score in six league games this season, their most in a campaign since 2015-16.
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Their tally of 10 errors leading to goals in the Premier League in 2024-25 is their most under Pep Guardiola, and two more than in the previous three seasons combined.
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Guardiola has only finished outside the top two in one of his 16 seasons as a top-flight manager, coming third in his debut campaign at Manchester City in 2016-17.
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Source Oliver Thomas at SportsMole/BBC Sports