Match Preview
Manchester City vrs Fulham
Premier League Match Day 14 22/23 at Etihad Stadium
Saturday 5th November 2022 KO: 15:00
Referee:
Darren England (Barnsley)
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Fulham are on their travels this weekend with a trip to Mancester City on the cards.
The Cottagers are flying high in seventh place, five points behind the top four, while The Citizens currently sit second in the table and two points adrift of leaders Arsenal.
Fulham were unable to claim a third successive Premier League victory last weekend as they were forced to play out a goalless draw at home against Everton.
The Cottagers registered just six of their 24 shots on target and head coach Marco Silva was left ruing several missed opportunities to win the match against a resilient Toffees outfit, who had an inspired Jordan Pickford to thank between the sticks.
Nevertheless, after winning the Championship title last season, Fulham fans will be delighted to see their side sitting seventh in the Premier League table, eight points clear of the relegation zone and above the likes of Liverpool, West Ham United, Brighton & Hove Albion and Leicester City who all finished the previous campaign in the top half.
Fulham have already accumulated more points this season (19) after 13 games than they managed at this stage of the 2018-19 (eight) and 2020-21 (nine) campaigns combined, but adding more points to their tally could prove challenging this weekend.
The West Londoners have lost each of their last nine Premier League meetings against Man City, failing to score in their last five, and they have also won just two of their 15 top-flight away matches against reigning champions, although they did secure a 1-0 win in their most recent such meeting against Liverpool in March 2021.
In addition, three of Fulham's four Premier League victories against Man City have come at the Etihad – most recently a 3-1 win in April 2009 – which bodes well for Silva and co heading into Saturday's contest.
Manchester City are seeking to extend their winning run at the Etihad Stadium to 15 games across all competitions.
After securing a slender 1-0 victory away at Leicester City last weekend, courtesy of a stunning Kevin De Bruyne free kick, Man City capped off their Champions League group-stage campaign with a 3-1 success at home against Sevilla on Wednesday.
In what was a dead rubber fixture for the Citizens, who had already qualified for the last 16 as Group A winners, Rafa Mir headed the visitors in front before half time, but 17-year-old Rico Lewis equalised on his full debut – breaking a Champions League record in the process – before Julian Alvarez and Riyad Mahrez completed the comeback to keep the Sky Blues unbeaten in this season's competition.
Indeed, City's win over Sevilla is the first of four successive matches at the Etihad before the World Cup break, with Saturday's clash against Fulham followed by next Wednesday's EFL Cup third-round tie with Chelsea and a Premier League encounter against Brentford.
Guardiola's men have put together an impressive 14-game winning streak on home soil in all competitions – scoring at least three goals in all but one of those fixtures – and they are unbeaten in their last 18 matches at the Etihad since a 3-2 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur back in February.
City have already scored 10 goals at home against two newly-promoted teams this season, beating Bournemouth 4-0 and Nottingham Forest 6-0 in August, and they will be confident of more success against Fulham this weekend.
The Citizens have won each of their last 12 meetings in all competitions against the Cottagers, and claiming another victory would see Guardiola's side momentarily climb to the Premier League summit before leaders Arsenal travel to Chelsea on Sunday.
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Fulham have won just two of their 15 Premier League away games against reigning champions (D2 L11), though they did win their most recent such match 1-0 at Liverpool in March 2021 (also 3-1 at Manchester United in October 2003).
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Three of Fulham’s four Premier League victories against Manchester City have come at Etihad Stadium, most recently a 3-1 victory in April 2009.
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Manchester City are unbeaten in their past 14 Premier League games against Fulham, winning 11 and drawing three. They’ve won each of their nine against them in the competition, keeping a clean sheet in each of the past five.
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Manchester City have won their past 12 meetings with Fulham in all competitions, only ever having longer winning runs against Watford (15) and West Bromwich Albion (14). They’ve also netted at least twice in each of their past 13 against the Cottagers in all competitions.
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Fulham are unbeaten in their past four league fixtures (W2, D2).
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They have already equalled their total of five victories from their previous top-flight campaign in 2020-21.
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The Cottagers can win consecutive Premier League away matches for the first time since 2013.
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Fulham's 24 shots versus Everton last week is their most in a Premier League game without scoring since such data was first recorded in 2003-04.
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Andreas Pereira created a league-high 20 chances in October for a season's total of 34, second only to Kevin De Bruyne's 40.
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City have earned 14 consecutive home wins in all competitions, two shy of their longest streak of 16 set between November 1920 and August 1921
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They are the first club to have scored at least three goals in 10 top-flight home matches in a row since Aston Villa's record of 15 from December 1930 to September 1931.
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City have 22 Premier League wins in 2022, more than any other team.
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Erling Haaland can become only the second Manchester City player to score in six successive Premier League home appearances, emulating Alvaro Negredo in 2013.
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Pep Guardiola has won all nine games as a manager against Marco Silva by an aggregate score of 31-5.
He has won all seven matches against Fulham in all competitions.
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