Manchester City vs Fulham: Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

Manchester City will host Fulham at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon as they return to their Premier League obligations.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

Starting with the hosts, Manchester City may have yet to experience a single defeat in any competition this season, but it appears that Pep Guardiola's team is looking for a recent domestic boost. The former Barcelona manager has witnessed his legendary squad lose back-to-back points after being forced to settle for a 1-1 stalemate away at Newcastle last weekend, leaving him frustrated. 

However, the Sky Blues are determined to break even more domestic records this year following their impressive Champions League performance earlier this week, culminating in a 4-0 victory over Slovan Bratislava.

City will be eager to return to the Etihad on Saturday afternoon, becoming the first club in English history to win four successive Premier League titles last season. It is also important to note that Guardiola's team has not suffered a single Premier League loss in the blue half of Manchester since November 2022.

Fulham have secured a series of accolades thus far this season, as they put in another stellar performance last weekend in a 1-0 victory at Nottingham Forest. Similarly, Marco Silva's team is firmly set on achieving a top-half finish this season, as evidenced by their dramatic 3-1 victory over Newcastle on September 21st. 

The former Fulham manager may be daydreaming of the opportunity to launch an extraordinary European assault, as they have been unbeaten in all of their previous five Premier League matches on either side of the international break in September. Nevertheless, Fulham has an infamous record against the defending champions, and they are currently projected as a landslide underdog. 

Silva's team has lost each of their previous 16 consecutive encounters against the Cottagers in all competitions, a streak that dates back to a 2-2 stalemate in September 2011.

Manchester City x Fulham Team News

Rodri, the midfield talisman of Manchester City, is anticipated to miss the remainder of the season after undergoing knee surgery last week in the wake of an ACL rupture sustained against Arsenal on September 22nd. Similarly, Guardiola's team is not anticipated to be without Kevin De Bruyne until after the international break in October, as he is recovering from a recent groin injury.

Erling Haaland, who has already scored 10 goals in his first six Premier League appearances, will seek to further his remarkable scoring streak in this match. He is currently in the process of breaking a series of records. Phil Foden, who opened his Champions League account at Slovan Bratislava earlier in the week, will anticipate his first top-flight start.

Carlos Vinicius, who has yet to appear in a single match since the commencement of the new campaign and spent the previous season on loan at Galatasaray, will again be absent on Friday night. Nevertheless, Fulham has reported a clean bill of health, except for the one-time Tottenham misfit.

Raul Jimenez, an ex-Wolves striker, will spearhead Silva's offensive efforts in the final third after scoring in his previous three Premier League appearances and converting from the penalty spot at Nottingham Forest last weekend. Joachim Andersen will partner Calvin Bassey at the center of Silva's defense, joining from Crystal Palace over the summer.

Our Predictions

Manchester City to win and over 3.5 goals @ 2.40 on Sky247.ng

We anticipate Manchester City will prevail 3-1 in the match between Fulham and Manchester City. The rationale for this prediction is as follows. The Citizens are determined to earn three points after suffering a two-point loss in the previous round. City are the clear favorites, evidenced by their exceptional head-to-head record of 16 consecutive victories. 

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