By Reigning Premier League champions Manchester City welcome sixth-placed Fulham to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, seeking to avoid going three consecutive league games without a victory.
City enter the match following a dominant 4-0 Champions League win against Slovan Bratislava, a result that manager Pep Guardiola hopes will reignite their domestic form after back-to-back Premier League draws.
“We are improving step-by-step,” Guardiola said in his pre-match press conference. “The Champions League performance showed our attacking potential, but Fulham present a different challenge.”
The Citizens boast an impressive record against Fulham, having won their last 16 meetings across all competitions – the longest winning run one team has had over another in English football league history. A draw or win would also extend City’s remarkable unbeaten home record to 50 games.
Fulham, however, arrive in Manchester in fine form. The Cottagers have put together a five-game unbeaten run in the top flight since losing their season opener, including victories in their last two matches against Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest.
Fulham manager Marco Silva acknowledges the challenge ahead but remains optimistic. “We respect City’s quality, but we’ve shown we can compete with anyone this season,” Silva stated. “Our recent form gives us confidence.”
Both teams have injury concerns heading into the match. City will be without Rodri for the season due to an ACL injury, while Kevin De Bruyne and Nathan Ake are also sidelined. Fulham’s only doubt is striker Carlos Vinicius, nursing a calf injury.
Key to City’s attack will be Erling Haaland, who has scored five goals in just four Premier League appearances against Fulham. The Cottagers will look to in-form striker Raul Jimenez, fresh off scoring his 50th Premier League goal last weekend.
Despite Fulham’s strong start to the season, which sees them just three points behind second-placed City, the hosts remain favorites. City have won each of their last 16 meetings with Fulham across all competitions, a record in English football.
However, Fulham can take some encouragement from history – they’ve registered three of their four Premier League wins over City at the Etihad, most recently winning 3-1 in April 2009.
As Liverpool could potentially extend their lead at the top of the table before this match kicks off, the pressure is on Guardiola’s men to secure all three points and keep pace in the title race.
The clash at the Etihad promises to be an intriguing encounter between a City side looking to reassert their dominance and a Fulham team eager to prove their strong start is no fluke.
