The night at Craven Cottage belonged to drama and history as Manchester City edged Fulham 5-4 in a breathtaking, nine-goal thriller that will long linger in the memory of all who watched. What began as routine for City mutated into chaos, and ultimately, a narrow escape, underlining both the brilliance and fragility of Pep Guardiola’s side.
From the early whistle, City looked determined to dominate. In the 17th minute, Erling Haaland slotted in a left-footed strike — his 100th in the Premier League — becoming the fastest player in history to reach the century mark.
That landmark strike set the tone. Not content to rest on the laurels of history, City pressed on: Tijjani Reijnders followed with a second in the 37th minute, and just before the break Phil Foden doubled up, scoring in the 44th and 48th minutes to put City firmly in control.
An own goal from Fulham’s Sander Berge in the 54th seemed to confirm it — heading into the second half, City held a 5-1 lead.
At that point, the match looked all but decided. Observers described City as cruising with the result seemingly secure. Yet the final 45 minutes would prove otherwise — a testament to Fulham’s spirit under pressure.
As the second half unfolded, the hosts struck first through Emile Smith Rowe in first-half stoppage time, just before the interval. Then came a stirring fightback. Alex Iwobi netted in the 57th minute to make it 5-2, giving Fulham a sliver of hope.
But that was not all. Substitution Samuel Chukwueze, brought on in the second half, turned into Fulham’s rallying hero — scoring twice, in the 72nd and 78th minutes, to reduce the deficit to one. The crowd at Craven Cottage roared as Fulham dared to dream of an improbable turnaround.
As the minutes ticked into stoppage time, City were under siege. A late effort from Fulham — by Josh King — was almost goalbound, only for City defender Joško Gvardiol to throw himself across the line and clear the ball, denying what would have been a miraculous finale for the hosts.
That clearance proved decisive. When the final whistle blew, it was City who emerged victorious — 5-4 — but only just. The match will be remembered not only for the attacking fireworks but also for the defensive alarm bells ringing for City, who barely held on.
Haaland’s milestone soared to the forefront of post-match conversation. Scoring in just his 111th Premier League appearance, he shattered the previous record — held for decades by Alan Shearer — for fastest to 100 goals.
In doing so, Haaland joined an elite group of Premier League greats and underscored his status as one of the deadliest strikers in the competition’s history.
But while City could celebrate a win — and a landmark — the performance hardly reassured. Their build-up to 5-1 had flowed, the goals had come in an orderly fashion, yet as soon as Fulham showed belief, City’s vulnerabilities were exposed.
The hosts’ comeback illustrated how thin the margin can be when defensive concentration lapses, even for a side of City’s calibre.
For Fulham, the defeat will sting — but there is pride in the fight. Down by four goals and with most believing the match lost, their second-half resurgence displayed spirit, quality and character. Smith Rowe, Iwobi and Chukwueze all stepped up when it mattered, and the supporters at Craven Cottage will believe in them all the more for it.
At a team level, the victory lifts Manchester City to 28 points, putting them just two behind league leaders Arsenal. For Fulham, their 17-point haul leaves them in mid-table territory — but with renewed belief that they can challenge and upset even the strongest sides on their day.