MANCHESTER, ENGLAND — Manchester City delivered a ruthless attacking display to dismantle Fulham 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium, with Antoine Semenyo and Erling Haaland providing the firepower that propelled the hosts to a commanding victory. The result sees City consolidate second place on 34 points, while Fulham's struggles on the road continued as they remain 14th with 20 points.
The breakthrough arrived in the 24th minute when Semenyo pounced from very close range, rifling a right-footed shot into the centre of the goal to give City the lead their early dominance deserved. The hosts had already served notice of their intent when Phil Foden forced Bernd Leno into a smart save in the 10th minute, the German goalkeeper palming away Foden's effort from the centre of the box.
City's attacking intent was relentless, and Nico O'Reilly doubled the advantage in the 30th minute with a sublime finish. The midfielder latched onto Antoine Semenyo's perfectly weighted through ball and dispatched a left-footed shot from the left side of the box into the high centre of the goal, leaving Leno with no chance. The Etihad crowd roared their approval as City's fluid attacking play carved open Fulham's defense with surgical precision.
Just nine minutes later, Erling Haaland added his name to the scoresheet with a moment of individual brilliance. Following a devastating fast break orchestrated by Phil Foden, the Norwegian striker unleashed a left-footed thunderbolt from outside the box that arrowed into the bottom right corner. It was vintage Haaland, combining power and precision to effectively end the contest before halftime.
Fulham refused to surrender despite the three-goal deficit, and Raúl Jiménez came agonizingly close to pulling one back in the 45th minute. The Mexican striker's header from the centre of the box, supplied by Kenny Tete's inviting cross, forced Gianluigi Donnarumma into a spectacular save as the Italian goalkeeper clawed the effort away from the top centre of the goal. It proved to be Fulham's best chance of the afternoon.
The statistics painted a picture of City's controlled dominance. Manchester City enjoyed 56% of the ball, dictating the tempo and rhythm of the encounter. While Fulham managed 14 shots in a spirited effort to find a way back into the match, only three troubled Donnarumma, highlighting their lack of cutting edge in the final third. City, by contrast, registered five shots on target from their 13 attempts, showcasing their clinical efficiency.
The physical nature of the contest was reflected in the disciplinary record, with referee issuing three yellow cards to Manchester City players. Phil Foden saw yellow in the 66th minute for a bad foul on Calvin Bassey, while Nico González joined him in the book late on in the 83rd minute. Fulham's Kenny Tete was cautioned as tensions occasionally boiled over in a competitive encounter that saw 18 fouls committed between the sides.
City manager made tactical adjustments in the second half, withdrawing Haaland for Omar Marmoush at the interval before introducing Rayan Cherki and Nico González for Phil Foden and Rodri in the 71st minute. Fulham boss responded with a flurry of substitutions on the hour mark, bringing on Kevin, Rodrigo Muniz, and Josh King in a bid to salvage something from the afternoon, but City's defensive organization remained impenetrable.
The closing stages saw Fulham press for a consolation goal, with Josh King forcing Donnarumma into another fine save in stoppage time. The substitute's right-footed effort from the centre of the box, set up by Kevin's clever assist, was pushed away by the City goalkeeper to preserve his clean sheet. Kenny Tete's blocked effort in the dying seconds summed up Fulham's frustrating afternoon as they failed to breach City's rearguard.
Marc Guéhi and Rayan Aït-Nouri were imperious at the heart of City's defense, snuffing out danger whenever Fulham threatened to build momentum. The visitors' attacking quartet of Samuel Chukwueze, Emile Smith Rowe, Harry Wilson, and Raúl Jiménez worked tirelessly but found themselves starved of quality service against City's well-drilled defensive unit.
The victory extends City's impressive recent form, having won four of their last five matches, and keeps them firmly in the title conversation. For Fulham, the defeat continues their inconsistent campaign, with just two wins from their last five outings leaving them stranded in mid-table mediocrity.
Both teams return to action on February 21, with Manchester City traveling to face Newcastle United in what promises to be a stern examination of their title credentials. Fulham, meanwhile, make the trip to Sunderland seeking to arrest their away-day woes and climb further from the relegation conversation.