Match Report Manchester City (1) 2-1 (0) Fulham 1 Premier League Match Day 14 22/23 at Etihad Stadium Saturday 5th November 2022     KO: 15:00 Referee: Darren England (Barnsley)

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Erling Haaland's 95th-minute penalty dragged 10-man Manchester City back to the top of the Premier League with a 2-1 victory over Fulham on a day of high drama at a sodden Etihad Stadium.

Haaland kept his composure to tuck away his 18th league goal of the season after Kevin De Bruyne was fouled by Antonee Robinson in stoppage time to deny Fulham an unlikely point.

Julian Alvarez blasted the hosts in front on 17 minutes after relentless pressure, but referee Darren England's decision to send off Joao Cancelo and award Fulham a penalty turned the game on its head.

Andreas Pereira dispatched the spot-kick (28) to haul the visitors level, but, after a marginal VAR call had already frustrated Haaland, the Norwegian restored City's lead by converting his penalty underneath Bernd Leno with virtually the last kick of the game.

The result means City move above Arsenal on 32 points with the Gunners facing Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Fulham remain seventh on 19 points after their four-game unbeaten run was ended.

Pep Guardiola's 10-match winning home run in all competitions remains intact, and the unbridled joy that greeted the final whistle as the Catalan embraced Alvarez and Jack Grealish on the pitch underpinned the spirit of champions.

City are now unbeaten in their last 15 Premier League games against Fulham, winning 12 including their last 10 against them in the competition, but they couldn't have left victory No 10 any later.

Alvarez was handed a chance to impress from the start, with Haaland back fit but on the bench, but it was Kevin De Bruyne who had the opening chance as his fierce drive from 25 yards was pushed away by Bernd Leno inside 10 minutes.

Match Stats	Man City	Fulham
Goals	(1) 2	0 (1)
Scorers	Alvarez 17	Pereira pen 28
	Haaland pen 90+5 17	-
Goal attempts	16	4
On target	5	2
Shooting Accuracy	31%	50%
Possession	71%	29%
Passes	705	290
Passes Success	91%	80%
Crosses	28	6
Crosses Success	36%	17%
Corners	9	0
Tackles	16	15
Tackles Success	19%	73%
Saves	1	3
Fouls	6	11
Offsides	3	0
Yellows	2	4
Reds	1	0
source: SkySports

Fulham arrived in Manchester having won just two of their 15 Premier League away games against reigning champions, though they did win their most recent such match 1-0 at Liverpool in March 2021. They were without their nine-goal talisman Aleksandar Mitrovic due to ankle pain as Vinicius Junior led the line.

Pereira had been somewhat fortunate not to have seen red for a late challenge on Rodri early on, but it didn't take long for City to establish a lead.

Ilkay Gundogan collected the ball in space from Rodri and after piercing the Fulham defence, Alvarez kept his composure to flash a right-foot shot into the net via the underside of the crossbar.

Leno hadn't covered himself in glory, anticipating a shot across goal as he went to ground, but Alvarez was rewarded for his lightning movement. City looked in complete control, and might have doubled their lead when John Stones nudged in from close range but Rodri was offside in the build-up from De Bruyne's free-kick.

Less than a minute later, Fulham were awarded a penalty.

Vinicius did well to suck in Nathan Ake and release Harry Wilson through on goal before a blatant barge from Cancelo led to inevitable consequences. Referee Darren England had no hesitation in awarding the spot-kick and sending off Cancelo, deemed to have made no attempt to play the ball as the last man.

Periera kept his cool to send Ederson the wrong way. The mood of the home supporters turned as filthy as the weather and spurred on by a sense of injustice, Grealish twice went close before the interval with one effort curling wide before another shot deflected just over.

City ought to have restored their lead before the break when Manuel Akanji rose unmarked to head straight at Leno from point-blank range. It was the fifth attempt in fact City had after Pereira's leveller and it wasn't long before Haaland was being readied after the restart with Fulham happy to use the extra man to hold City at bay.

The visitors remained compact and combative, allowing City the ball in their own half, with Wilson's tame effort on the transition failing to trouble Ederson as Phil Foden and Haaland were summoned in a double change shortly after the hour mark.

De Bruyne remained City's bright spark as his disguised free-kick whistled just past the post, and it was the Belgian's brilliance which looked to have unlocked Fulham when his delicious cross was headed in by Haaland.

But, in keeping with City's day, VAR Stuart Attwell advised referee England to chalk off the goal with Haaland just the wrong side of Issa Diop's back leg. City weren't to be denied, however, as after Robinson dangled a leg at De Bruyne, England became the Etihad's unlikely hero - and Haaland did the rest.

When asked if it was great to be back, Haaland said: "I want to play every game. Difficult [to be on the sidelines] but in the end we need three points and that is what we got.

"I am so tired, but so happy. You have no idea."

The final Premier League fixture before the World Cup sees Fulham host Manchester United on Sunday November 13, live on Sky Sports with kick-off at 4.30pm.

Fulham boss Marco Silva: "It was really tough for us, tough, tough, tough.

"We have to use it to grow, that is the only way. We have to grow in terms of maturity in these situations and understand that in some moments, mistakes can happen.

"The commitment, the attitude, everything was there. The penalty is a tough one to take. The game was completely under control when the penalty came.

"We know the reality as we know the type of team we're playing against - it was much more than just Haaland both on the pitch and on the bench.

"We wanted to start differently by being a bit more brave on the ball and prepare our attacks better from the first minute but the effort was there."

Manchester City: Ederson, Cancelo, Stones, Akanji, Ake, Rodri, Gundogan (Dias 97), Silva, De Bruyne, Grealish (Foden 63), Alvarez (Haaland 63).

Unused substitutes: Moreno, Dias, Laporte, Gomez, Mahrez, Palmer, Lewis.

Goals:
Alvarez 17 (Alvarez is taking his chance in place of Erling Haaland. Gundogan slides the ball through for Alvarez, who is one on one with leno. he takes the shot on early, and Leno tries to anticipate which way the shot is going. However, the striker goes down the middle and the ball crashes in off the underside of the crossbar. Leno went far too early there with his dive!)

Booked: Silva (45+3,d), Haaland (90+7,ex cel)

Sent Off: Cancelo (26,last man,f),

Fulham: Leno, Tete, Diop, Ream, Robinson, Reed, Palhinha, Willian (Mbabu 80), Wilson (James 77), Pereira (Harris 88), Vinicius (Cairney 78).

Unused substitutes: Rodak, Kurzawa, Adarabioyo, Duffy, Cairney, Onomah.

Goals:
Pereira pen 28 (Pereira steps up and sends Ederson the wrong way. Game on! What a match we have on our hands now! FPL assist: Wilson)

Booked: Pereira (7,f), Reed (45,f), Tete (63,f), Robinson (90,f)

Referee: Darren England (Barnsley)

Attendance: 52,395