Starting Point

Previous Results

• Manchester City have won all five of their previous games in the Premier League, scoring 4+ goals in four of those matches.

• Fulham have won one game in their last five, drawing two (Palace, Brentford), losing two (Liverpool, Newcastle) and beating West Ham.

Notable Injuries:

• Manchester City have a fully fit squad.

• Fulham could be without Harrison Reed who missed the Brentford match due to a knock but he has taken part in training this week. Tosin Adarabioyo has been left out of the squad in the previous two matchdays due to reportedly turning down a contract extension.

Interesting Stats:

• Fulham at home, with less than 50% possession, have beaten Brighton, Arsenal, Bournemouth, Spurs and West Ham this season.

• Fulham have conceded six set play goals in the PL this season, that’s joint with Arsenal for the second least amount. Behind Manchester City (2) in 1st.

• Fulham have made the 2nd most crosses in the penalty area this season and completed the 2nd most long passes in the Premier League.

• Erling Haaland has scored a penalty against Fulham in all three Premier League games he’s played against them. No player in the history of the competition has scored four in a row against a single opponent.

Fulham vs Manchester City Preview

PREMIER LEAGUE

Included below is the starting eleven for the match I’d expect as Guardiola seems to have locked in his ‘best eleven’ with perhaps one or two changes to come during the run-in. It’s taken a while to arrive at this point but once both fit, the focus has always been getting the best out of Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden.

Gvardiol and Walker have progressed throughout the season in their roles as a full back, switched on to the right moments for being aggressive and when to pull back. In recent games it is Gvardiol that performs that width role as Foden drifts inside. Walker acting more as a conventional RB with Bernardo Silva in front of him. Overlaps where needed.

The unit of Akanji - Ake with Kovacic - Rodri in front has been robust for City defensively and for progressing the ball. Giving Rodri the security to get into the box, they are also able to be flexible in the buildup. We saw against Brighton the two CBs splitting and Rodri dropping into the back line. In the last three games the same back line has started.

Erling Haaland looks to be right in form and heading back to his best for the remaining Premier League games. Scoring five goals in three games against Fulham already for Man City, expect him to be hungry for more on Saturday.

Alvarez I do not expect to be involved in the remaining games as a starter but looks like he’ll help score goals off the bench now his confidence is back. Jeremy Doku is perhaps one option Guardiola might look at in this game if he wants to get down the Fulham right side. Grealish another possibility to consider but between the three of the players mentioned it’s only going to be one for a specific tactical reason or Guardiola is forced through injury/illness. Especially when against Forest he changed to Doku and Grealish out wide which didn’t work well and forced a half time change. Do keep an eye on early changes for the Spurs (A) match if City get an early lead.

John Stones did come on against Wolves and Ruben Dias has been sat on the bench in two of the last three matches but in my opinion their isn’t an overwhelming reason to change the CB pairing of Akanji/Ake. The players have had a full week since the last fixture so there isn’t a fitness issue to consider.

Oscar Bobb was not in the squad for the previous match against Wolves so hopefully he is able to return, there has been no news to suggest he was injured or ill.

If Rodri and Foden play ninety minutes at the weekend then they will become our first two players to cross 4,000+ minutes, played across all competitions this season. That’s the bracket Foden is now in for this City team.

Opposition Setup: Fulham FC

As mentioned above, Fulham have beaten a number of times at their home ground whilst having less than 50% of the ball. That’s beyond one result being a shock one. They absolutely can pose a threat to City in this game and have quality players across the lineup. Antonee Robinson is considered one of the best left backs in the league. Palhinha recently linked to a summer move to Bayern Munich. Muniz has had an excellent scoring run earlier in the season. Just to name a few!

Under Marco Silva they’ve conceded 55 goals, the 6th least in the PL this season. Only conceded six set play goals, joint second least in the PL. 2nd most crosses into the penalty area in the PL, that’s part of the threat Robinson brings and helps get the most out of Muniz.

Here is how they lined up in their last PL match and likely how they shape up again unless Harrison Reed comes into the lineup, now back in training.

Fulham are in the bottom five for most high turnovers (260) and have only turned four of them into goals. By comparison Manchester City have scored 12 goals from a high turnover.

Here is a graphic by Scott Willis (CannonStats) and you’ll notice where the xG difference was for the home match against Fulham.

Final Thoughts

Heading into these remaining games in the run-in the key factor will always be focus and mentality of the players. If you do not have that whilst teams are fighting for Europe, survival and pride then it doesn’t matter what game plan you come up with. It’s a long and tough afternoon ahead for you.

Against Fulham City have the chance to return top and put pressure on Arsenal, who play Manchester United on Sunday. To build momentum for the Spurs game on Tuesday night. To get one step closer to winning four Premier League titles in a row.

Ones to Watch: 

• Manchester City: Erling Haaland looked back to his best and determined to get City over the line against Wolves.

• Fulham: Antonee Robinson will not let City sleep down the left side so expect a battle between him and Kyle Walker all game long.

Predicted Lineup: Ederson, Walker, Akanji, Ake, Gvardiol, Rodri, Kovacic, Bernardo, Foden, De Bruyne, Haaland

Predicted Score: Manchester City 3 - 0 Fulham

LAST WORD👋

How am I doing?

I’d love to hear more from readers and I’m always looking for feedback. How am I doing with Sky Blue Times? Is there anything you’d like to see more or less of? Which aspects of the newsletter and our content do you enjoy the most?

Hit the reply and say hello - I’d love to hear from you!

Thank you,

Bailey