Before The Whistle: Manchester City v Fulham

Written by Drew Heatley on 4th October 2024

16 games. 16 losses. 14 years. 49 conceded. Seven scored.

The numbers are bleaker than bleak. And they’re only since our last point against Manchester City. Even then we had to come back from two down to grab the unlikeliest of 2-2 draws. You have to go back to 2009 for our last win – a Clint Dempsey double either side of a Dickson Etuhu goal gave us a 3-1 win at the Etihad. ‘Poker Face’ by Lady Gaga was top of the charts that day.

So, back to Manchester we go like lambs to the slaughter. Except this time, things feel different. We’re on a five-game unbeaten run. We’ve won our last two in a row. We’ve got the joint-second most resolute defence in the league. City, meanwhile, have drawn their last two games. The slugs.

Jokes aside, there’s probably not a harder game in world football right now. And despite the champions missing Rodri and Kevin de Bruyne, they’ve got more than enough at their disposal. But when the pressure’s off and the expectations are low, anything can happen.

Marco’s starting XI has proven quite successful so far this term, and there’s little to suggest that he’ll change that now, despite the opposition. City might have an embarrassment of riches, but we’ve got some quality on the bench as well, and as Silva’s shown of late, he’s got plans in place to change games, or – dare I say it – hold onto leads.

So, strap in and enjoy the ride. It might be a weekend to grimace and move on from, but then again…

ℹ️ MATCH DETAILS

Kick-Off: Saturday, 3.00PM
Stadium: Etihad Stadium
Competition: Premier League
TV Channel (UK): None

🚦 LEAGUE FORM

Man City: ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ⬜ ⬜
Fulham: ❌ ✅ ⬜ ⬜ ✅ ✅

⚖️ MATCH PROBABILITY

Man City: 72.6%
Draw: 15.9%
Fulham: 11.5%

🥊 MOST RECENT MATCHES

May 24: Fulham 0-4 Man City
Sep 23: Man City 5-1 Fulham\
Apr 23: Fulham 1-2 Man City
Nov 22: Man City 2-1 Fulham

🎙 NEW PODCAST: Top Six Tussle

We take a last look back at the win at Forest, discuss whether Fulham are in full flow yet, and look forward (sort of) to a trip to the Etihad to face the Champions!