Manchester City cut Arsenal’s lead at the top of the Premier League to just two points after hanging on for a classic win over Fulham, as Erling Haaland broke another record.
The Gunners will have the opportunity to strike back when they do They face Brentford on Wednesday But Pep Guardiola’s side have shown enough – in attack, anyway – to confirm that we do indeed have a title race this season.
They led 5-1 at Craven Cottage but then stalled and in the end were still hanging on for three vital points.
Haaland became the fastest player to reach 100 Premier League Goals that put City in the lead, and reached His century in his 111th appearancebeating Alan Shearer’s long-standing mark of 124 matches. The Norwegian striker is the 35th player to join the 100 club.
Haaland was supposed to put City ahead within six minutes after blazing the ball on goal, but he hit the inside post just when he looked certain to score.
The 25-year-old scored the opener in the pouring London rain for his 15th league goal of the season, meeting Jeremy Doku’s low cross from the left flank with a left-footed shot.
City were finding their feet and were on the scoresheet before half-time with another great goal. Haaland was the provider this time, rolling his man over before playing in Tijani Reynders, who finished past Bernd Leno with a stunning volley for his first goal since his debut.
Foden, who has returned to his best in recent weeks, scored the third goal when Leno’s weak punch from a corner was collected and returned with his left foot.
City were purring but turned on Emile Smith Rowe to pull one back in first-half stoppage time with a brilliant header past Gigi Donnarumma from an unlikely angle.
But it took Foden just three minutes into the second half to make it 4-1, firing in at the near post after Haaland had assisted on another low cross from Doku.
Doku was all in and curled a shot that deflected high over the hapless Leno and into the corner – a strike that was credited as a Sander Berge own goal.
It was the first time Fulham had conceded five times in a Premier League match, but they responded immediately to pull one back, with Alex Iwobi curling home an excellent shot from the edge of the box.
Haaland rebounded off the post and Fulham doubled the lead moments later to 5-3 when substitute Samuel Chukwueze volleyed home a loose ball on the stroke of half-time.
Chukwueze then repeated the trick from another cross in the 78th minute, firing a shot across goal to make it 5-4.
It has been 12 years since a Premier League match saw 10 goals scored, and despite Fulham’s best efforts in eight extra minutes, they were unable to force an equaliser.
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2025-12-02 21:28:00
