Ruthless Man. City crush Fulham to keep pressure on Arsenal

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Manchester City delivered a commanding performance to defeat Fulham 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, in Premier League match, keeping the pressure firmly on league leaders Arsenal by reducing the gap to three points.

Pep Guardiola’s side produced a dominant first-half display, racing into a three-goal lead before the break and then managing the game comfortably in the second period.

The victory extended City’s remarkable record against Fulham to 20 consecutive wins across all competitions.

The breakthrough came in the 24th minute when Antoine Semenyo, continuing his impressive form since joining City, reacted quickest to poke home a loose ball from close range after Matheus Nunes’ cross caused chaos in the Fulham defense. Semenyo, who has quickly become a key attacking threat, netted his fifth goal in recent appearances.

Just six minutes later, Semenyo turned provider, slipping a precise through ball to Nico O’Reilly, who finished confidently into the top corner for City’s second. The young midfielder’s strike showcased City’s fluid attacking play and underlined the depth in their squad.

Erling Haaland sealed the result in the 39th minute, combining with Phil Foden before drilling a low finish into the bottom right corner. The goal marked Haaland’s 153rd for City, drawing him level with club legend Colin Bell in the all-time scoring charts and ending a brief wait for an open-play league strike.

 City dominated possession and created numerous chances, with Foden testing Bernd Leno early and Rodri firing narrowly wide. Gianluigi Donnarumma, City’s summer signing in goal, was rarely troubled but produced solid saves when called upon, including from efforts by Raul Jimenez and Emile Smith Rowe.

Fulham, who struggled to create clear opportunities, offered little threat after the interval despite substitutions aimed at injecting energy.

Late efforts from Joshua King were well handled by Donnarumma, and City comfortably saw out the game despite a few yellow cards for fouls.