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Premier League | Gameweek 11

Dec 5, 2020 at 3pm UK

Etihad Stadium

Man City
2 - 0
Fulham

Sterling (5'), De Bruyne (26' pen.)

FT(HT: 2-0)

Pep Guardiola: 'Manchester City are heading in the right direction'

| 05 December 2020

Pep Guardiola: 'Manchester City are heading in the right direction'

City secured back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time this season thanks to early goals from Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne.

Pep Guardiola feels his Manchester City side are heading in the right direction following the 2-0 victory over Fulham.

City secured back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time this season as early goals from Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne set up a routine triumph at the Etihad Stadium.

After a stuttering start to the campaign that saw them 14th in the table just over a week ago, City are now back in more familiar surroundings at the top end.

Guardiola said: “We were far away – seven or eight points – weeks ago, now we are there. It is important.

“We have played one game less so we will see at the end of this weekend (where we are) but the important thing is the feeling of the team.

“There is commitment without the ball, and with the ball we are going to improve.”

In the past week City have also thrashed Burnley 5-0 and secured top spot in their Champions League group with a draw at Porto.

Guardiola said: “I see the positive things. After the last three or four games I see more positive things than the opposite.

“I am incredibly delighted for the performance in Portugal, the way we played and the chances we created. It was so good. Today as well.

“We conceded not one shot on target against Burnley and today one. We created enough as well.

Pep speaks with CityTV following his 700th game as a manager and 250th as City boss 🙌

🔷 #ManCity | https://t.co/axa0klD5re pic.twitter.com/tBOIWvjpt4

— Manchester City (@ManCity) December 5, 2020

“We will improve, we know it, but if it helps us to win the games it is enough.”

City’s opener from Sterling came with just five minutes gone and De Bruyne added a penalty 20 minutes later.

De Bruyne later hit the bar as City continued to dominate but Fulham resisted further damage.

Guardiola said: “The Premier League is back from years ago. In the last years it has been dominated by two teams but now everyone can beat everyone. Fulham’s physicality is impressive.”

Guardiola did not make any substitutions but now plans wholesale changes for the final Champions League game against Marseille on Wednesday.

“That is the reason why I wanted the players to play 90 minutes,” he said. “They’re not going to play Wednesday and the guys who didn’t play are going to play Wednesday.”

Fulham manager Scott Parker, centre, was pleased with his side's spirit — Fulham manager **Scott Parker**, centre, was pleased with his side’s spirit (Dave Thompson/PA)

Fulham have had a difficult start to the season but, coming after Monday’s impressive win at Leicester, boss Scott Parker was again pleased with how his side acquitted themselves.

Parker said: “Overall I’m disappointed with the result, I’m always disappointed when we lose.

“But we understood the challenge. I asked the team to leave an impression. Teams can get swept away here by an unbelievable team and it was a tough ask but I wanted us to stand up to it, individually and as a team, and I felt we did that.

“It is difficult when you go down early but I saw a team with big spirit. We showed courage. We’re disappointed but there were a lot of positives.

“This is not a low for us. This is a Man City team that are on a different level to us. We came here wanting to put a performance in and I felt we did that.”