S Poddar
The Etihad Stadium was the ground of great excitement as Manchester City faced off Fulham in the battle of Premier League. Rodri was injured, and therefore Pep Guardiola had some changes to make in the starting combination which was quite evident in the early periods of the game where Manchester City was failing to attain a good rhythm in the game.
It was Fulham who took the initiative first, though, and Andreas Pereira’s accurate volley gave his team what they deserved when going forward. Of course, Manchester City were determined to respond with a show of will. Mateo Kovacic, deputising for Rodri, stepped up on the plate in no time scoring twice to level the game and put his team back ahead by half time.
Action continued in the reverse fixture as there was constant back-and-forth action in the second half. With mere minutes remaining in the game, Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz pulled one back, but Manchester City’s Jérémy Doku made sure the defending champions left town with the hard-fought 3-2 win.
While the match was a thrilling spectacle, it did expose some defensive softness for Manchester City. For one, the absence of a Rodri was noticeable as not providing enough solidity at the heart of the defence against Fulham. Still, this good quality attack of his team spoke well for Guardiola’s quality and tenacity in the attacking third against players.
It was the performance of Kovacic which deserved special praise. The Croatian midfielder had look very impressive in his hold and display, something the rarely-seen Rodri would have perhaps done otherwise. His strikes must surely have rallied the home side for completing a comeback and get the lead.
During the season, Manchester City just needs to keep playing at a better level and find solutions for the missing titans. Regarding overcoming adversity and maintaining high positions on the table, the game over Fulham seems to be a step in the right direction.
