Premier League Preview: Manchester City Must Not Slip in Pursuit of Top Spot, Fulham Refuses to be a “Cash Machine” Anymore

At 22:00 on October 5th, 2024-25 Premier League season’s 7th round will see Manchester City host Fulham at their home ground. After six rounds, Manchester City has accumulated 14 points and is ranked second in the Premier League table, while Fulham has 11 points and is ranked sixth.

Last weekend, Manchester City was held to a 1-1 draw away at Newcastle United, suffering their second consecutive league draw. The “Sky Blues” then bounced back with a comfortable 4-0 win over Bratislava in the midweek Champions League match. In their first-ever visit to Slovakia, Manchester City dominated with 73% possession, had 28 shots on goal, and hit the woodwork three times in the first half alone. Ilkay Gündogan, Phil Foden, Erling Haaland, and Cole Palmer, who scored his first senior goal, were the scorers for Manchester City, securing their first victory in the reformed Champions League. Pep Guardiola praised his players after the game, saying they are “improving step by step.”

Before the international break, Manchester United will face Fulham at home. Particularly, Liverpool’s match kicks off before Manchester City’s, so Manchester City could enter this match four points behind. However, Manchester City players have a huge psychological advantage as they have won a staggering 16 consecutive matches against Fulham across all competitions, the longest winning streak against a single opponent in English football history. If Manchester City remains unbeaten, their unbeaten run at the Etihad Stadium will extend to 50 games.

Fulham is only three points behind Manchester City, marking their best start to a Premier League season since 2003. “The Cottagers” suffered a narrow loss to Manchester United in the opening round but have remained unbeaten since, with impressive wins over Newcastle United and a draw against West Ham United. They are currently on a two-match winning streak.

In the last round, Raul Jimenez scored his 50th Premier League goal, helping his team defeat Nottingham Forest. However, his act of taking the penalty kick from first-choice taker Pereira annoyed head coach Marco Silva. After internal discussions, Silva revealed that Jimenez had apologized for his actions.

In terms of personnel, Manchester City will be without Rodri, Oscar Bob, Aymeric Laporte, and Kevin De Bruyne. Guardiola’s decision to rotate the squad in the midweek European match now appears wise. Ederson and John Stones are expected to return to the starting lineup this weekend. Mateo Kovačić, Bernardo Silva, and Jack Grealish have secured their positions in midfield. Erling Haaland, who has scored five goals in four Premier League matches against Fulham, has been cleared to play and is expected to lead the attack.

Fulham will be without injured Kunika, while Brazilian forward Carlos Vinicius is doubtful due to a calf injury. Traoré, who once scored twice at the Etihad Stadium, is expected to start as the right winger.

Manchester City hopes to quickly get out of their winless league spell, and Fulham seems like a timely opponent. Whether Manchester City can secure a smooth or even overwhelming victory at home with their flood-like attacks is something we’ll have to wait and see.

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