Lovely strikes from Bernardo Silva and Sergio Aguero sent Manchester City back to the top of the Premier League as they eased past Fulham at Craven Cottage this afternoon. A seventh straight league win keeps Pep Guardiola’s side on track for an unprecedented quadruple whilst the Whites are almost ready to be put out of their top flight misery.
Scott Parker’s side endured a dreadful start when a dreadful pass from Timothy Fosu-Mensah gifted City lead in the fourth minute. Sergio Aguero seized on the Manchester United loanee’s awful ball, sliding in Silva, who darted away from two defenders and found the corner with a precise left-footed shot. Parker packed the midfield in an attempt to frustrate Guardiola’s side but his gameplan was wrecked by a self-inflicted wound and Fulham didn’t muster a shot on target throughout the ninety minutes.
Silva made City’s second just before the half hour. Again it came from a poor Fulham ball out from the back – this time Joe Bryan was the culprit – and the little Spaniard seized possession, playing in Aguero – a frequent scourge of Fulham – who left three defenders trailing in his wake before beating Rico from an acute angle to score his nineteenth Premier League goal of the season.
It was all too easy for City, who should have added to their advantage before half-time, and were denied what seemed to be a clear penalty when Raheem Sterling was felled by Fosu-Mensah. The visitors might have added a third late on but Kyle Walker rattled the woodwork when teed up by Sterling.
FULHAM (4-5-1): Rico; Christie, Bryan, Fosu-Mensah, Le Marchand; Chambers, Anguissa, Cairney (Schurrle 70), Ayite (Kebano 64), R. Sessegnon; Babel (McDonald 88). Subs (not used): Fabri, S. Sessegnon, Odoi, Vietto.
BOOKED: Le Marchand, Christie.
MANCHESTER CITY (4-3-3): Ederson; Walker, Zinchenko, Otamendi, Laporte; Gundogan, de Bruyne (Fernandinho 75), D. Silva; B. Silva, Sterling (Mahrez 88), Aguero (Gabriel Jesus 57). Subs (not used): Muric, Stones, Danilo, Sane.
GOALS: Aguero (5), B. Silva (27).
REFEREE: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire).
ATTENDANCE: 25,001.
