LONDON (REUTERS) - Top-class goals from Bernardo Silva and Sergio Aguero took Manchester City back to the top of the Premier League in a 2-0 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday (March 30).
City's seventh successive league victory keeps alive their hopes an unprecedented quadruple of League Cup, Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League trophies this season.
A wayward ball from Fulham's Timothy Fosu-Mensah gifted the visitors the lead in the fifth minute.
Sergio Aguero intercepted the Dutchman's pass just outside the area and passed to Silva, who cut across past two defenders and drove his left-footed shot into the corner past the diving Sergio Rico in goal.
City manager Pep Guardiola told reporters that Silva was playing so well he had made himself a fixture in the lineup.
"The way he is playing, I cannot do anything else but put him on the pitch," he said.
Fulham, who were missing top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic after the international break, kept five men in the back line in a bid to keep City's attack at bay, leading to one-way traffic. In the end, the Cottagers were unable to register a single shot on target all game.
Â
The home side's captain Tom Cairney won a freekick on the corner of the box in a rare break forward in the first half that had the home fans clapping and stamping their feet to rattle the century-old Johnny Haynes Stand.
However, Joe Bryan's cross was a whisker too high for Ryan Babel to head cleanly, and the ball went wide.
City's Silva turned provider in the 27th minute, pouncing onto a loose ball and passing to Aguero, who sprang forward past three defenders and shot from a tight angle up into the opposite corner for his league-leading 19th goal of the season.
Caretaker manager Scott Parker's Fulham have now failed to record a win in 14 games against City in all competitions and have lost the last eight in a row.
The result takes City back to the top of the Premier League on 77 points, one ahead of Liverpool who host Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
"Now it's the last part of the season, seven games left. It's easy: Every game we play we have to win if we want to be champions," Guardiola said.
For Fulham, the outlook is bleak. They remain in 19th place on 17 points, and will now most likely need to win every one of their remaining six matches to have a chance of avoiding relegation.
"We understand the predicament. The main focus now is we push and we end the season on a positive after a difficult campaign," Fulham boss Parker told reporters.
"We have another game on Tuesday and we have to do better. We have six games left and mathematically we're still in it," defender Cyrus Christie said.
Thierry Henry is on the verge of getting sacked as Monaco manager. (Source: AP) Thierry Henry was suspended by Monaco on Thursday and looked set to lose his job as coach after only three months in charge at the Ligue 1 club, with former manager Leonardo Jardim expected to take control from Friday.
Football: Suspended Thierry Henry set to lose Monaco job
Man City ready to pounce on any Liverpool slip-ups, says Guardiola By The Open View on January 15, 2019 • ( Leave a comment ) Manchester : Pep Guardiola said his Manchester City team will be poised to pounce if Premier League leaders Liverpool falter, following a comfortable 3-0 win over Wolves that left City four points behind Jurgen Klopp
Man City ready to pounce on any Liverpool slip-ups, says boss
Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, has said his team must win their seven remaining Premier League games, to pip Liverpool to the title. City have the slight advantage in the title race, sitting top by a point after the 2-0 win at Fulham, having played the same number of games as Liverpool.
Pep Guardiola reveals what his Man City side MUST do to beat
The Australian Financial Review; Football: Australian Joe Palatsides set to replace Belgian Michel Sablon as FAS' new technical director The Straits Times; Australia squad for women's World Cup
Football: Football Association of Singapore appoints Joseph
MILAN: Juventus clinched their eighth consecutive Serie A title on Saturday with a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Fiorentina. Alex Sandro's diving header on 37 minutes and an own goal from Fiorentina defender German Pezzella after a Cristiano Ronaldo cross in the 53rd minute sealed a 35th Scudetto.
Juventus Win Eighth Consecutive Serie A Title - Channels
Newcastle are headed in the other direction as once again they were inspired by the performance of record signing Miguel Almiron to end Burnley's eight-game unbeaten Premier League run with a 2
Leicester Welcome Rodgers With Win, Newcastle End Burnley Run
"After we scored, we lost concentration and this is our main problem we have to address." The Stags play Yangon at Jalan Besar Stadium on Might 1 earlier than their final match at Hanoi on Might 15. Kadir added: "We need to be more clinical in front of goal. If we progress, we're going to expect much better teams and much better defence."
Nicole Chia, News & Top Stories - The Straits Times
Home United snap Albirex Niigata's title-winning streak
Australia manager Graham Arnold has told his team to use their surprise defeat to Jordan as a "wake-up call" as the defending champions lost their opening 2019 Asian Cup match in Al Ain.
AFC Asian Cup: Jordan Stuns Defending Champions Australia in
Tough summer for EPL chasing pack LONDON • Liverpool's attempt to dethrone Manchester City as Premier League champions ended in glorious failure on Sunday, but at least Jurgen Klopp's team proved it was possible to take the title race to the wire.
Soccer-City and Liverpool leave chasing pack facing tough summer
Jesus shines as City regain top spot, Eriksen fires Spurs. Manchester City swept back to the top of the Premier League as Gabriel Jesus but Jurgen Klopp's team can regain top spot if they
Jesus shines as City regain top spot, Eriksen fires Spurs
0 Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen