In the early days without Rodri, Manchester City is struggling to maintain their dominance. So, Pep Guardiola is actively seeking solutions. This time around, it was Mateo Kovacic who stepped up with a two-goal performance. Reports The Guardian.
However, the champions appear more vulnerable; Fulham's Andreas Pereira opened the scoring, and Rodrigo Muniz added a late goal in the 88th minute, highlighting City’s defensive lapses. There were moments in the second half when their possession play faltered, as shown when Josko Gvardiol had to dive to block Raúl Jiménez’s shot near the penalty spot. Muniz's goal came after Emile Smith Rowe passed to Reiss Nelson, who set up the Brazilian for a straightforward finish.
While Jérémy Doku's performance proved crucial, City’s discomfort was evident as they ended the match in a quasi-holding-on mode. Furthermore, Ederson was booked for time-wasting, and Guardiola received a caution for his sarcastic applause.
The first half featured a flurry of chances for City. Ilkay Gündogan slipped Erling Haaland through, but Bernd Leno made the save. Both Gündogan and Haaland then had chances, but both missed. Rico Lewis was fouled by Sasa Lukic, while Bernardo Silva became a human shield for Fulham’s wall, with Haaland’s free-kick crashing into him.
From this point, City lost their momentum. Kovacic, Grealish, and Rico Lewis all became increasingly sloppy, with Lewis particularly struggling as Adama Traoré used his blistering pace to get past him. Traoré soon found himself in a shooting position, but Ederson’s legs came to City’s rescue.
It might be easy to attribute this to Rodri's absence, but Pereira’s goal provided clear evidence. Normally, City could have disrupted Fulham’s play through Rodri’s subtle link-up, controlling possession and preventing Fulham from advancing. Additionally, he would have neutralized Marco Silva’s side from attacking down the left and switching play to the right. Without him, Raúl Jiménez executed a brilliant backheel cross, allowing Pereira to volley home.
A near-identical situation unfolded moments later. Another misplaced Grealish pass allowed Jiménez to send Pereira sprinting 60 yards down the right. Pereira found Alex Iwobi, who set up Traoré in front of goal. However, with Ederson rushing out, Traoré’s shot sailed over the bar.
Silva could hardly believe the miss, and his team soon paid the price. City surged downfield, winning a corner, and from the ensuing play, the ball fell to Kovacic. His quick strike deflected off Joachim Andersen’s leg, wrong-footing Leno, and leveling the score at 1-1.
Before the second half began, Guardiola gave his players one final pep talk in the tunnel. Just seconds into the restart, Kovacic struck again. Grealish passed to Foden on the left, who lofted a ball to Silva. Silva’s perfect chest-and-pass set up Kovacic, whose right-footed shot beat Leno to the left, putting City ahead.
“It means a lot because my wife is pregnant, so it was great to score for the little one. It’s always nice to get goals, but the most important thing is the team and that we won today. It was a good game for us.”- Said Kovacic after the match:
In the second half, City made a double substitution, with Jack Grealish and Manuel Akanji making way for Jérémy Doku and Kyle Walker. Lewis remained at right-back, while Walker took up a central defensive role. In terms technical skill, Lewis was immaculate.
Walker, known for his blistering speed, struggled to contain Adama Traoré even at 2-1, as the winger burst past him once again. However, Traoré failed to find the finishing touch, unable to beat Ederson. At the final whistle, Traoré was left ruing his missed opportunities.
Bd-pratidin English/ Rafid
