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Manchester City inched one step closer to winning the Premier League as they beat Fulham 4-0 on Saturday, May 11, at Craven Cottage.
Pep Guardiola's men were dominant from the starting whistle and got their noses in front early on through Josko Gvardiol who put one past Bernd Leno after a sublime linkup with Kevin de Bruyne. Following the opening goal, Fulham were successful in keeping Manchester City at bay for the remainder of the first half.
But the Cityzens were just not going to be content with a one-goal lead and came to all guns blazing in the second half. Phil Foden doubled their advantage after some brilliant work done on the flank by Bernardo Silva to beat his man. Post that, Silva set up Gvardiol for his second and Manchester City's third of the game with a peach of a ball which was tucked in by the Croatian at the far post.
Julian Alvarez sealed the deal for the visitors as he drew a foul from Issa Diop in the box earning his side a penalty which he confidently put away to wrap up the game. With this win, Manchester City go back to the top of the table with a two-point lead over Arsenal with just two games left to be played.
On that note, let's take a look at five hits and flops from the game:
(Note: Stats as per FotMob)
#5 Hit: Mateo Kovacic (Manchester City)
Mateo Kovacic took control of the midfield and dominated the battle for Manchester City. The 30-year-old took a lot of responsibility and was always keen to get on the ball. He was the most accurate passer of the game with a pass completion percentage of 97 percent completing 96 of 99 passes.
The Croatian international linked up well with Rodri in the center of the park to maintain the tempo for Manchester City. Moreover, he made four recoveries and intercepted the ball once during his stay on the pitch.
#4 Flop: Willian (Fulham)
Willian had a substandard outing for Fulham. The 35-year-old was far from threatening down the line. He completed three dribbles during his stay in the pitch but none of them yielded any results as the end product did not come through for the hosts.
Marco Silva replaced the Brazilian in the 46th minute of the game in favor of Adama Traore who could provide a better offensive approach moving forward.
#3 Hit: Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
Bernardo Silva had a silent opening half but burst onto the scene in the second half. The Portuguese international was too tough to contain for the hosts as he kept the defenders entangled while testing Bernd Leno at regular intervals.
Bernardo Silva bagged a brace of assists. He created four chances, made two clearances, recovered the ball five times, and won two tackles throughout the game. A complete performance in the second half ensured that his side secured all three points.
#2 Issa Diop (Fulham)
Issa Diop had an evening to forget. The 27-year-old was astute defensively as he managed to keep Erling Haaland at bay for the majority of the game. But made some clumsy challenges. The Frenchman struggled towards the end of the game and in a bid to contain the Norwegian, drew his first yellow of the game as he dragged the City forward down near the halfway line in the 78th minute.
Diop received his second yellow in added time as he fouled Julian Alvarez in the box leading to a penalty that the Cityzens went on to score.
#1 Hit: Josko Gvardiol (Manchester City)
Josko Gvardiol is on fire for Manchester City. The Croatian international is in red-hot form and now has five goals for the Cityzens in his last seven appearances.
The 22-year-old hardly had anything to do defensively and thus had the freedom to join in the attack. And he did take the opportunity to showcase his offensive threat in a scintillating fashion. His first one to beat Leno following a brilliant sequence with De Bruyne was a treat to watch. It was a proper striker's finish.
Moreover, his second of the evening sealed the deal for Cityzens as he threw himself to reach a delicious pass from Bernardo Silva to bag his brace.
