September 02, (THEWILL) – Manchester City continued their flawless start to the English Premier League season with a dominant 5-1 victory against Fulham at the Etihad Stadium, as Erling Haaland continued his fine scoring form with a hat-trick.
The home side initially struggled to break down a resolute Fulham defence, with Julian Alvarez poking them ahead against the run of play after 30 minutes. The lead was short-lived however, as Tim Ream levelled just two minutes later. City retook the lead on the stroke of half-time through Nathan Ake’s header from a corner.
The second half saw City pull away with the points. Erling Haaland netted his 10th goal of the campaign just before the hour mark after capitalising on a defensive mistake. The Norwegian added a second from the penalty spot after Issa Diop fouled Alvarez in the area. Haaland completed his hat-trick deep into stoppage time to round off a comfortable afternoon for the champions.
The win means City have maximum points from their first four league matches and sit top of the table as the only remaining side with a perfect record. Fulham remain in the bottom half with four points from their opening games.
Pep Guardiola’s side demonstrated their offensive power, but will be concerned with the ease at which Fulham found the net. However, City underlined their title credentials with another dominant home display. They will look to keep this going after the September international break.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
