MX23RW : Sunday, February 2 10:27:26| >> :60:46:46:

Match Analysis: Fulham 1-2 Manchester City

Match Analysis: Fulham 1-2 Man City
© PA Photos
Sports Mole assesses champions Manchester City's late win at Fulham on Saturday.

Champions Manchester City left it late on Saturday as Edin Dzeko came off the bench to earn a 2-1 win at Fulham.

The hosts made it tough work for Roberto Mancini's side but they remained patient before sealing what was only their second victory of the season.

Sports Mole takes a closer look at the 90 minutes at Craven Cottage.

Match statistics:

Fulham
Shots: 7
On target: 3
Possession: 50%
Corners: 2
Fouls: 6

Man City
Shots: 20
On target: 12
Possession: 50%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 12

Was the result fair?

Fulham made it tough for the champions but Roberto Mancini's side were deserved winners. They bombarded Mark Schwarzer's goal for much of the match and their persistence eventually paid off with Dzeko's late winner.

Fulham's performance

The Cottagers showed plenty of steel against City's flair and looked dangerous on the break. Chris Baird and Steve Sidwell were a particular highlight for the hosts with some robust challenges snuffing out visiting attacks. Manager Martin Jol should be pleased with their display.

Man City's performance

Despite going behind, the away side dominated the match from start to finish. They were often frustrated by the Fulham defence but did what champions do best - force the win.

Referee's performance

Mark Halsey looked to have got it wrong when he awarded Fulham their penalty in the first half and he could have given City a spot kick later on when Carlos Tevez appeared to have been pulled back by John Arne Riise. However, he gave an otherwise solid display on the back of vulgar abuse in the aftermath of Liverpool's defeat against Manchester United last weekend.

Sports Mole's man of the match

David Silva was at the heart of nearly all of City's attack. Whether he was playing in teammates or driving at the Fulham defence, the hosts struggled to deal with the Spaniard.

Biggest gaffe

Probably Fulham being awarded a penalty. Contact on Riise by Pablo Zabaleta was minimal at best and may even have started outside of the area.

What next?

Fulham: The Cottagers will have a great chance of getting three points on the board with a trip to struggling Southampton next weekend.

Man City: Mancini's men will be looking to get their Champions League campaign up and running on Wednesday when they face German champions Borussia Dortmund at the Etihad. What a match that could be.

ID:47560: cacheID:47560:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:4404:
Written by
Jack Prescott
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Edin Dezko
Read Next:
Fulham 1-2 Man City
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool23175156213556
2Arsenal23138244212347
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest24145540271347
4Manchester CityMan City23125647301741
5Newcastle UnitedNewcastle24125742291341
6Chelsea23117545301540
7Bournemouth24117641281340
8Aston Villa2410773437-337
9Fulham249963632436
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2481063538-334
11Brentford2394104240231
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd2385102832-429
13Crystal Palace236982630-427
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham2376102844-1627
15Everton236892328-526
16Tottenham HotspurSpurs2373134637924
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2454153452-1819
18Leicester CityLeicester2445152553-2817
19Ipswich TownIpswich2437142249-2716
20Southampton2423191854-369


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!