After two consecutive draws in the Premier League, Manchester City got back to winning ways against Fulham at the Etihad Stadium with a 3-2 victory.
The Cottagers did not make things easy for the eight-time English champions, but Pep Guardiola’s side got the victory. They are now unbeaten at home for the past 50 games in all competitions, a run which dates back to November 2022, as per Fabrizio Romano.
It was Marco Silva’s side who went 1-0 up, with Manchester United academy graduate Andreas Pereira putting a smile on the faces of Red Devils fans by giving Fulham the lead. Mateo Kovacic equalised for the Citizens six minutes later and gave them the lead just two minutes into the second half.
City got their crucial third goal through Jeremy Doku, who received the ball just outside the Fulham penalty box from Rico Lewis. He drove at the Cottagers’ defence before unleashing a shot which flew into the top corner. Fulham did pull one back through Rodrigo Muniz late on, but couldn’t find an equaliser.
It was a tough day at the office for City, but they ultimately managed to get over the line thanks to some standout performances from the likes of matchwinner Kovacic.
Kovacic's stats v Fulham
There is no doubt that Croatia international Kovacic has a big season ahead of him in Rodri’s absence; the Spaniard is likely to miss the entire season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Kovacic has started strongly, although instead of vital midfield contributions, he popped up with two key goals on Saturday afternoon.
His first goal was a volley following a corner, which was drilled into a mass of defenders and into the Fulham goal via a deflection. His second strike was a tidy finish from the edge of the area. Kovacic received a pass from Bernardo Silva before taking a touch to get the ball on his right foot and firing home into the bottom left-hand corner.
His performance today ensured the midfielder received a 7/10 rating from Simon Bajkowski from the Manchester Evening News, praising Kovacic for “two moments of quality” in front of goal.
It was a good day’s work for City No 8 and this was reflected in his stats on Sofascore after the match. He had 98 touches of the ball against Fulham, completing 90% of his passes – 77 from 86, to be exact. Along with his brace, the midfielder managed to win one duel and one tackle.
Kovacic can certainly be happy with his performance against Fulham, but there was another Citizen who was arguably even more of a standout. That player was Josko Gvardiol.
Gvardiol’s stats vs Fulham
If Kovacic put in a good shift, then fellow Croatia international Gvardiol was even better. He has never looked out of place at left-back since joining City last summer, and today was no different against Silva’s side.
The former RB Leipzig defender is a player who possesses great quality in possession, whilst also being extremely tough in duels thanks to his 6 foot 1 frame. That was certainly on show against the Whites, with Gvardiol showing complete control throughout the game.
His match stats certainly reflect such an impressive day at the office. The defender had a commanding, match-high 118 touches, with a 95% pass accuracy to go along with that, completing 95 from 100 attempts. Defensively, Gvardiol made four clearances and won three from four ground duels.
Stat
Number
Touches
118
Passes completed
95/100
Pass accuracy
95%
Clearances
4
Ground duels won
3/4
Long balls completed
3/4
Blocks
2
It was a dominant showing from City’s No 24 and received a post-match rating of 8/10 from Bajkowski. He complimented the defender for making several “excellent blocks and interceptions” that kept City in the game and ultimately got them over the line.
It was a dominant showing from Gvardiol, who keeps getting better in a City shirt. Guardiola will surely hope he can keep up that form following the October international break.
