Manchester City face Fulham on Saturday lunchtime as they look for the three points that’ll send them to the Premier League summit. The Blues can go top of the league for 24 hours at least if they beat Fulham at Craven Cottage, and will stay there if Arsenal fail to beat United at Old Trafford.
The blue are still one point behind the Gunners but have a game in hand against Spurs next week. Victory in City’s final three matches will guarantee them the league title, regardless of what Arsenal achieve.
City’s latest hurdle is a tough match against the Cottagers, who are looking for a top ten finish in their second season back in the Premier League, which will at least equal their position last term.
Form
Fulham have had a very mixed season. They have spent some playing very well and other times abysmally. Their current form has seen the Cottagers win five of their seventeen matches in 2024, with three of those coming at home. Their last victory at Craven Cottage was a 3-0 win over Spurs in the middle of March and since then, they have lost two and drawn one of their following three matches at home.
On the bright side for Fulham, they have won more than they have lost at home this season. Nine wins and seven defeats from 18 matches is not a bad return, and they have only drawn two at home all season – only Spurs can better that having drawn none in North London as yet. London rivals Arsenal have also only drawn two at home.
Fulham have also scored 31 goals at home and conceded 21 so far. They have kept six clean sheets and also failed to score in home league fixtures six times. Against the current top six, Fulham have beaten Arsenal and Spurs, but lost to Liverpool, Aston Villa and Newcastle. They were also beaten by strugglers Burnley and United at Craven Cottage.
Danger Men
Rodrigo Muniz is Fulham’s top scorer this season with ten goals to his name. Bobby De Cordova-Reid has seven, while Alex Iwobi has scored six times. Former Chelsea star Willian and ex-Wolves striker Raúl Jiménez have five apiece, so they’re not short on goals.
Muniz and Willian have the lower goal conversion rates with just 15%, while de Cordova-Reid has an impressive 25%. Muniz has attempted the most shots (67), and his last home goal came in a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace in April.
Andreas Pereira is the main threat in the middle. The former Stretford Ranger has created 90 chances for his teammates, with eight being taken. Harry Wilson has seven and Antonee Robinson is credited with six assists. Robinson is also Fulham’s pass master, having attempted 1,805 and completing 1,355, giving him a pass accuracy rating of 75%.
However, the Blues will need to be wary of Tom Cairney. The Scottish international has four assists, but, with 90%, has the highest pass accuracy in the whole Fulham team.
The Boss
Former Hull, Watford and Everton boss Marco Silva took over at Fulham in 2021 after the Cottagers suffered relegation from the Premier League. His impact was immediate and Fulham bounced back to the Premier League at the first attempt.
Silva has a decent record at Craven Cottage. He has presided over 138 matches, winning 62 and losing 47, giving him a win ratio of 45%.
Last Time Out
The two teams last met in the league in September when City ran out 5-1 winners, thanks to a second half hattrick from Erling Haaland. Last season at Craven Cottage, a Haaland penalty after three minutes put City in front, before Carlos Vinicius levelled for the home side on 15 minutes, Julian Alvarez put City back in front in the 36th minute, which was enough for the blues to take home the three points.