Premier League: City Juggernaut Moves to the Thames

Fulham vs Manchester City

Manchester City’s quest for immortality heads to the Thames this weekend as one of the surprise teams of the season awaits the champions.

Fulham host Pep Guardiola’s men in the middle of inconsistent Premier League form, although that is understandable given recent disruption.

Regardless of the final five weeks of the campaign, however, they can be immensely proud at what they have achieved, an opening day 2-2 draw with last season’s runners-up Liverpool set the tone and, in truth, they have never looked back.

In fact, but for the absence of key men such as Willian (who has surprised a number of skeptics) and Aleksandar Mitrovic in recent weeks, they could have even been in contention for European football next term which, given they were promoted a year ago and survival was considered their main aim, shows just how far they have come under the astute management of Marco Silva.

Sure, there have been blips and setbacks – not least in their FA Cup quarter-final when a lack of discipline provide fatal – but they have largely showed their mettle, given us plenty of Premier League 2023 highlights and also given the big boys a bloody nose along the way.

Now they can claim the biggest scalp of all?

Talking Points

It is actually against the two Manchester clubs where Fulham have had least luck this term.

In successive weeks in early November, they conceded last-gasp goals to both City and United to lose 2-1 – on each occasion, certainly the latter, they deserved better.

United were the opponents again last month in the FA Cup when they led 1-0 at Old Trafford before a mad few minutes saw them concede a penalty, be reduced to nine men and even lost their manager from the sidelines.

If they stay calm, they are certainly due some better fortune this weekend, although they will have to do without key men against a team which has beaten them for the last 13 successive meetings stretching back more than a decade.

City have firmly been in control of this fixture over the past decade and are now also firmly in control of the title race.

On Wednesday night against nearest rivals Arsenal, City were remorseless – an irresistible blend of pace, power and cohesion, intent on making it plain to the pretenders to their Premier League throne that they are in no mood to stand down.

On fire domestically and in Europe, just how do Fulham stop that?

History

It’s more than a decade since Fulham beat City – a 3-1 Premier League win at the Etihad in April 2009 when Clint Dempsey (two) and Dickson Etuhu (a former City youth player) were on target and City had Robinho and Daniel Sturridge among their substitutes.

However, it was mighty close back in November when it took a stoppage-time Erling Haaland penalty to give City the points in a 2-1 victory after spirited Fulham were on course for a draw – albeit after the hosts had played for more than an hour with 10 men following the sending-off of Joao Cancelo.

Julian Alvarez and ex-Man Utd man Andreas Pereira (penalty) were the marksmen.

You have to go back to September 2011 for the last time Fulham took points off City – a 2-2 draw at Craven Cottage where the hosts fought back from two goals down from Bobby Zamora and an own goal after Sergio Aguero had netted twice.

The last 13 matches have all been City victories, including in the fourth round of the FA Cup last term when Ilkay Gundogan, John Stones, and Riyad Mahrez (two, one penalty) were on target in a 4-1 win.

In the corresponding league fixture two seasons ago, City ran out 2-0 winners thanks to goals from Raheem Sterling and a Kevin De Bruyne penalty.

They then won the return at Craven Cottage when Stones, Gabriel Jesus, and Aguero scored three times without reply in 15 second half minutes.

Overall, City have 38 wins in this fixture compared to 16 draws and 17 Fulham successes.

Betting Tip

The SBOTOP Premier League betting odds are naturally with the champions.

They are priced 1X2 at a staggeringly low @ 1.25 and Asian Handicap – 1.50 @ 1.89.

Fulham are out at an appealing 1X2 @ 8.50 and Asian Handicap +1.50 @ 2.01.

Another 2-1 City success will pay out @ 7.80 with Correct Score – a bet I have considered – while goal options include over 3.00 @ 1.90, total goal 0-1 @ 4.90, 2-3 @ 2.12 and 4-6 @ 2.61.

They are well worth looking at, especially when you consider there hasn’t been a goalless draw between the two sides since 2004 – one of only two in the past 40 years.

I have to back City but not without a battle.

 

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