John Stones and Gabriel Jesus starred while Sergio Aguero was also on the scoresheet as Manchester City cruised to a 3-0 win over Fulham on Saturday.
Manchester City controlled the proceedings as one would expect in the opening half at Craven Cottage but Fulham were resilient and hard to break down, limiting the league leaders to just a couple of speculative efforts from Ferran Torres and Sergio Aguero which were easily saved.
Manchester City turned on the style after the half-time break though and were up and running in the 47th minute when John Stones turned home a Joao Cancelo cross from close range. Nine minutes later, Pep Guardiola’s men doubled their advantage with Gabriel Jesus pouncing on a defensive lapse from Fulham to find the back of the net.
And the result was put to bed on the hour mark when Sergio Aguero stepped up to convert from the penalty spot after former Manchester City man Tosin Adarabioyo had fouled Torres inside the box. The visitors saw out the game in a comfortable manner, stretching their lead at the top of the Premier League table to 17 points.
Here’s how we rated the performances of the City stars as they move another step closer towards lifting the league title.
Ederson Moraes: 7/10
Hardly had a shot to save on the night with Fulham barely threatening going forward. But was alert to any possible danger and dealt with it effectively. Passing out from the back was key in helping City’s buildup play.
John Stones: 8/10
Looked confident on the ball and pushed forward from the back on every given occasion, almost operating as a right-back at times. Continued his rich goalscoring form this season to hand Manchester City the lead with a good finish early in the second half. Hardly gave an inch to the Fulham attackers at the back.
John Stones has now scored four Premier League goals in 2021, more than:
◎ Anthony Martial (3)
◎ Dominic Calvert-Lewin (3)
◎ Marcus Rashford (2)
◎ Son Heung-Min (2)
◎ Timo Werner (1)Goalscoring machine. pic.twitter.com/WKq0V4OCLe
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) March 13, 2021
Ruben Dias: 7/10
Put out fires before they became dangerous for his team. Dealt with whatever Fulham threw his way with comfort, although the hosts didn’t really test him a great deal.
Aymeric Laporte: 7/10
Looked comfortable playing on the left-side of Manchester City’s three-man backline. Did not let get anything past him on the night, producing an important couple of blocks in the later stages of the game.
Joao Cancelo: 7.5/10
Playing as the wing-back, the Portuguese thrived with the attacking freedom as he pushed forward relentlessly and put in dangerous crosses, one such moment leading to the opening goal. Solid defensively when he needed to be, making a game-high seven tackles while also playing two key passes. Such an asset to the team.
João Cancelo’s game by numbers vs. Fulham:
75% pass accuracy
15 final third passes
7 ball recoveries
7 attempted tackles
6 successful tackles
4 attempted take-ons
3 successful take-ons
2 big chances created
1 interception
1 assistOutstanding. ?? pic.twitter.com/Lz34nB7lYs
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) March 13, 2021
Bernardo Silva: 7/10
Playing in a slightly deeper role than he is used to, Silva hardly put a foot wrong on the night. Helped Manchester City control the proceedings from the off with his intelligent use of the ball and precise passing.
Rodri: 7/10
Back into the starting lineup after being rested in midweek against Southampton, the Spanish international went about his job in the middle of the park without any fuss. Made five tackles on the night, keeping things solid in midfield while kept things ticking along with his passing.
Benjamin Mendy: 6/10
A rare start for the Frenchman, who wasn’t always able to make the most of the space he was afforded on the left flank on the night. Defensively had a couple of nervy moments as well, as he gave away the ball needlessly at times. Scratchy.
Ferran Torres: 6.5/10
Looked scratchy in the early exchanges, which was expected given how sparingly he has featured of late. But grew into the contest with time. Had an effort saved by Alphonse Areola in the first half. Won the penalty from which Aguero scored in the second.
Sergio Aguero: 7/10
Sergio Aguero has scored his first Premier League goal in 418 days.
Welcome back, Sergio. ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/5jvTzavFFZ
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) March 13, 2021
Handed a rare start by Guardiola, Manchester City’s all-time leading goalscorer looked rusty in the first half and didn’t always pose a great threat in attack. Improved with time though and made no mistake to convert from the penalty spot to score his first league goal in over a year.
Gabriel Jesus: 8/10
Lively. Pressed the Fulham defenders with intent at the top, putting them under pressure. Won the free-kick leading to Manchester City’s opening goal then made it 2-0 himself with a composed strike after capitalising on a defensive lapse by the home team.
Gabriel Jesus' game by numbers for Man City vs. Fulham:
100% shot-conversion
55 touches
6/7 take-ons completed
4 ball recoveries
3 fouls won
2 interceptions
1 shot
1 goalClinical. pic.twitter.com/0crgrTfWLF
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) March 13, 2021
SUBSTITUTES
Fernandinho: 6/10
Replaced Silva in the 66th minute. Helped Manchester City see out the game without any mishaps.
Eric Garcia: N/A
On for Dias for the final fifteen minutes.
