With one game still to play, Manchester City extended their winning streak at the rate set by the scoring voracity of their striker, the Norwegian Erling Haaland, who propped up his numbers, equaling the record for top scorer in a season in the Premier and brought his team closer to a new title in the English League.
With one game less than Arsenal, and after beating Fulham at home (1-2), Manchester City is already the leader of the competition. It is already at the top of the table. The Spanish Pep Guardiola team, which faces the decisive stretch of the course in orbit, is aiming for a historic triplet, at its best. Look at the Premier, the Cup and also the Champions League, with the semifinal duel against Real Madrid just around the corner.
The citizen team did not need brilliance to carry out, as if by inertia, a new commitment. And more if the adversary, as it happened this time with the one of Marco Silva, does not have objectives for fulfilling nor ambitions within reach. Fulham had their best man in the German goalkeeper Bernd Leno, the one who avoided a major win, a greater punishment.
The duel suddenly stirred, after two minutes. He was startled when a theft of the ball inside the area by Tim Ream, in a foul on the Argentine Julián Álvarez was sanctioned as a penalty. It was a new opportunity for Haaland. He did not fail from eleven meters. Of record. He equaled the record for top scorer in a season in England, the same as Andy Cole and Alan Shearer, with 34 goals in the Premier. Half a hundred among all competitions. And what is yet to come.
Fulham, however, chose not to grant facilities, for not making the champion's performance placid and after a quarter of an hour they equalized with a great goal. A long cross, into the area, from Andreas Pereira to Harry Wilson who dropped the ball to the ground with his head, to Carlos Vinicius who found a shooting position to beat Ederson.
He squeezed Guardiola's box again and the figure of Leno emerged who responded to each visiting threat. He prevented Jack Grealish's goal on the half hour even though he couldn't do anything on Julián Álvarez's great goal.
Nine past intermission. Riyad Mahrez left a ball at the Argentine's feet, in the crescent. He found a hole and executed an impossible kick for the German goalkeeper.
Manchester City regained the advantage and the initiative, which was able to obtain a higher score. But Leno showed up. He saved a good shot to the left from Ilkai Gundogan and also prevented Haaland from feeding numbers to him. He denied him another goal. And Julian Alvarez.
Then the duel died down. He ran out of rhythm, between the changes, the interruptions and the least ambition of both, with everything resolved.
1 - Fulham: Bernd Leno; Kenny Tete, Tim Ream (Issa Diop, m.22), Tosin Adarabioyo, Antonee Robinson; Harrison Reed (Sasa Lukic, m.78), Joao Palinha; Harry Wilson (Manor Solomon, m.77), Andreas Pereira (Tom Cairney, m.59), Bobby Reid (Daniel James, m.78); Carlos Vinicius.
2 - Manchester City: Ederson; Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Manuel; John Stones, Rodri; Riyad Mahrez (Phil Foden, m.83), Julian Alvarez (Bernardo Silva, m.83), Ilkay Gundogan, Jack Grealish; Erling Haaland.
Goals: 0-1, m.3: Erling Haaland, penalty; 1-1, m.15: Carlos Vinicius; 1-2, m.36: Julián Álvarez.
Referee: Simon Hopper. He showed yellow cards to Fulham's Kenny Tete and Manchester City's Jack Grealish and Ederson.
Incidents: match corresponding to the thirty-fourth day of the Premier played at the Craven Cottage stadium in London.
