Manchester City will host Fulham at the Etihad on Saturday, eager to return to winning ways in the Premier League after two successive draws.
Manchester City are second in the Premier League table after two successive draws, and they will look to climb to the top of the table with a win over Fulham at the Etihad on Saturday afternoon. The reigning champions have a formidable record against the Cottagers, and they will be the favourites to win here.
Meanwhile, Fulham are sixth in the standings, and they have made an impressive start to the season as well. The West London outfit are unbeaten in five of their last six league games, and they will look to pull off an upset here.
Fulham will need to be at their best to get something out of this contest. Manchester City have a formidable record against the West London club, and they are nearly impossible to beat at home. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester City
The home side will be without Rodri (ACL), Kevin De Bruyne (groin), Oscar Bobb (leg), and Nathan Ake (thigh). Manchester City will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Fulham, with Ederson Moraes in goal. Rico Lewis and Josko Gvardiol will be deployed as the full-backs, and they will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Manuel Akanji will start at the heart of the defence alongside Ruben Dias.
As for the midfield unit, Ilkay Gundogan will start alongside John Stones in the double pivot. The England international will look to protect the back four and break up the opposition attacks, and Gundogan will look to add creativity and control.
Phil Foden will be deployed in the attacking midfield role, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities with his passing and vision. Savinho and Jeremy Doku should feature in the wide areas here, with Erling Haaland leading the line for Manchester City against Fulham.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Gundogan, Stones; Savinho, Foden, Doku; Haaland
Fulham
Carlos Vinicius is the only injury worry for the away side this weekend. Fulham are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Manchester City, with Bernd Leno in goal. Kenny Tete and Antonee Robinson will be deployed as the full-backs. They will look to protect the side defensively and help out during transitions. Joachim Andersen will start alongside Calvin Bassey in the central defensive pairing.
Sasa Lukic and Andreas Pereira will add defensive cover and creativity from the deep as they pair up in the double pivot in the middle of the park. Emile Smith Rowe will start as the central attacking midfielder and he will look to open up the Manchester City defence with his passing and vision.
Adama Traore will likely start in the wide areas along with Alex Iwobi. They will add pace and flair to the Fulham attack. Finally, Raul Jimenez should lead the line for Fulham against Manchester City at the Etihad on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Lukic, Pereira; Traore, Rowe, Iwobi; Jimenez
Key Stats
- Manchester City have won their last 16 matches against Fulham in all competitions.
- Manchester City have scored at least 2 goals in their last 17 matches against Fulham in all competitions.
- Manchester City are undefeated in their last 29 matches in the Premier League.
- 24 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two sides.
- Both teams have scored in four of the last five matches between these two sides.
Player to Watch
Erling Haaland
The Norwegian international is in phenomenal form right now, and he is our key player to watch out for. Haaland is in red-hot form right now, and he will look to add to his goalscoring tally for the season.
Manchester City’s star striker has the quality to punish the Fulham defence here, and the home side will expect him to step up and deliver here. Haaland could cause all sorts of problems for the Fulham defence with his movement, link-up play, physicality, and finishing ability.
Prediction
Manchester City 3-1 Fulham
Both teams are in impressive form, and this is likely to be an exciting contest. Neither Manchester City nor Fulham are expected to sit back and defend, and this could be an open game with a fair few chances.
Manchester City are the better team here, and they should be able to grind out the win. However, a high-scoring game is on the cards here. Manchester City are formidable at home, and they have a phenomenal record against Fulham. They should be able to extend that run. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Pep Guardiola and his charges.