Haaland Hits 100 as Man City Edge Fulham in 5-4 Thriller

Manchester City appeared to be cruising to a comfortable win at Craven Cottage after racing to a 5-1 lead against Fulham early in the second half. Goals from Erling Haaland, Phil Foden with a brace, Tijjani Reijnders, and an own goal from Sander Berge gave City a commanding advantage.

However, Fulham mounted an extraordinary fightback, sparked by substitute Samuel Chukwueze, scoring three consecutive goals and nearly equalizing late in stoppage time. City ultimately held on for a 5-4 victory, securing all three points in one of the Premier League’s most dramatic encounters this season.

Haaland’s contribution was historic, as he reached 100 Premier League goals in just 111 matches, the fastest any player has achieved the milestone. In addition to scoring, he provided two crucial assists. Reflecting on the match, Haaland said, “I was close to scoring and then they went and made it 5-3, so that’s football, that’s the beauty of football.”

Pep Guardiola acknowledged the scare with characteristic humor, stating, “I’m so old, and the players don’t respect me! They don’t have to treat their manager in that way. It only happens in this league.”

The win leaves Manchester City two points behind league leaders Arsenal, although the gap could widen depending on the Gunners’ upcoming fixture against Brentford.

This was Fulham’s first top-flight match with nine or more goals since a 7-2 loss at West Ham in 1968 and their first home match of this nature since 1965. Under Guardiola, City have now scored five or more goals in a match 41 times across 356 Premier League games. It was the first City league victory conceding four goals since December 1957 and marked the sixth Premier League game involving Manchester City with at least nine goals, a record only surpassed by Manchester United with seven.

Despite the attacking prowess, City’s defensive vulnerabilities were exposed. Arsenal, by comparison, have conceded just seven goals in 13 games, while City have allowed 16 in 14. Former striker Clinton Morrison highlighted the issue, saying, “There’s a problem with Manchester City defensively… you’d never see Arsenal be 5-1 up and end like that.”

Despite the defensive lapses, Guardiola remains optimistic, emphasizing the positives. “Every game is a new team for some players. There were some really positive things in the first half, scoring five goals and playing well,” he said. He also suggested the scare could strengthen focus and character in future matches.

Manchester City’s clash against Fulham will be remembered as a remarkable display of attacking brilliance and resilience, though it also serves as a reminder that even champions must tighten up defensively if they are to mount a serious title challenge.