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Manchester City went to the top of the Premier League table on Saturday but they left it late to secure a 2-1 win over Fulham at the Etihad Stadium.
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It looked to be a typical day at the office for the Premier League champions when Ilkay Gundogan drove forward from midfield before playing in Julian Alvarez to open the scoring, but the mood at the Etihad Stadium changed when Joao Cancelo conceded a penalty and received a red card 10 minutes later. The spot kick was converted by Andreas Pereira, but despite the numerical advantage, it was the Citizens who maintained control of the game.
Kevin De Bruyne was Manchester City’s brightest in a match that required all of their championship calibre. The hosts thought they had taken the lead when the Belgium international connected with substitute Erling Haaland in the 75th minute — only for VAR to confirm he was marginally offside.
That looked to be City’s final chance of the game before De Bruyne then won a penalty in injury time. He left the duty to Haaland, who made no mistake in dispatching from 12 yards to earn an important three points for his side.
Contents
Positives
Pep Guardiola’s side ensured they kept control despite going down to 10 men early on, and they got their reward in the end. De Bruyne also looks to be in the sort of form that was crucial in helping them win the league title last season.
Negatives
An unnecessary challenge from Cancelo made things difficult for his side, turning what looked like a routine afternoon into a proper day’s work for the rest of his teammates.
Manager rating
Pep Guardiola, 7 — Manchester City seemed to maintain control despite being a man down, and Guardiola didn’t panic as he made just two substitutions before injury time.
Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best, players introduced after 70 minutes get no…
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Source : espn
