Fulham 4-5 Manchester City: Post-match review, Stats, Key moments

Dive into Coral’s post-match review of Fulham 4-5 Manchester City in the Premier League on Tuesday, 02 December 2025, with stats, key moments and our take on the match.

Manchester City edged out Fulham in a thrilling 4-5 victory at Craven Cottage. The visitors took an early lead when Erling Haaland scored in the 17th minute, followed by Tijjani Reijnders adding a second in the 37th and Phil Foden making it three just before the break in the 44th. Fulham pulled one back through Emile Smith Rowe in stoppage time at 45+2’, but City quickly restored their advantage with Foden’s second in the 48th and an own goal from Sander Berge in the 54th, building on their recent strong run of wins against teams like Leeds and Liverpool.

Fulham fought back admirably with Alex Iwobi’s goal in the 57th, and substitute Samuel Chukwueze netting twice in the 72nd and 78th minutes to make it a tense finish. Despite the late rally, City held on for the win, which fits their form of bouncing back from a loss to Newcastle with back-to-back victories. For Fulham, this defeat follows a mixed bag of results, including wins over Tottenham and Sunderland but losses to Everton, highlighting their need for more consistency at home.

Fulham enjoyed the lion’s share of possession at 57% compared to City’s 43%, which showed in their higher number of corners at seven against City’s two, suggesting they pushed forward more often. They also completed more successful dribbles with 67 to City’s 44, pointing to a lively attacking approach, though City made the most of their chances with three assists recorded against Fulham’s one. On the discipline side, City picked up one yellow card, while Fulham stayed clean, and both sides used plenty of subs – five for Fulham and four for City – to try and shift the momentum.

Substitutions played a big role, with Fulham bringing on Samuel Chukwueze and Timothy Castagne at half-time for Saša Lukić and Kenny Tete, which sparked their comeback, followed by later changes like Jonah Kusi-Asare replacing Raúl Jiménez in the 73rd and Josh King coming on for Emile Smith Rowe a minute later. City responded with Savinho and John Stones entering for Jérémy Doku and Nico González in the 64th, then Rayan Cherki for Tijjani Reijnders in the 82nd, and a late swap of Nathan Aké for Phil Foden in stoppage time. No penalties or injury-time goals were noted beyond the regular play, keeping the focus on open-play drama.

The game burst into life early with Erling Haaland opening the scoring in the 17th, assisted by Jérémy Doku, before Tijjani Reijnders doubled the lead in the 37th with help from Haaland. Phil Foden’s brace, first in the 44th and then assisted by Haaland in the 48th, put City in command, but an own goal by Sander Berge in the 54th extended their advantage to what seemed a comfortable margin. Fulham’s response came via Emile Smith Rowe’s strike just before half-time in the 45+2’, assisted by Harry Wilson, setting up a frantic second half.

Half-time substitutions proved pivotal for Fulham, with Samuel Chukwueze replacing Saša Lukić and Timothy Castagne coming on for Kenny Tete, injecting energy that led to Alex Iwobi’s goal in the 57th and Chukwueze’s quick double in the 72nd and 78th. City’s late yellow card to Rayan Cherki in the 90+5’ added tension, but they managed the closing stages well despite further subs like Savinho for Jérémy Doku and John Stones for Nico González in the 64th. These changes helped City see out the win in a match full of twists.

Fulham lined up in a 4-2-3-1 shape, with Emile Smith Rowe playing a key role in midfield behind Raúl Jiménez up front, where his late first-half goal showed good link-up with Harry Wilson. Alex Iwobi provided width and a crucial strike, while substitutes like Samuel Chukwueze made a big impact after coming on, forming a dangerous partnership on the wing. Defensively, changes such as Timothy Castagne replacing Kenny Tete helped steady things, though the own goal from Sander Berge highlighted some vulnerabilities.

Manchester City set up in their familiar 4-3-3, with Erling Haaland leading the line and grabbing an early goal, supported by Phil Foden’s brace from midfield and Tijjani Reijnders chipping in with a strike. Jérémy Doku’s assist for Haaland showed strong wing play before he was replaced by Savinho, while later subs like John Stones for Nico González added defensive solidity. The setup allowed for quick counters, with Haaland also providing assists for Reijnders and Foden.

Coral’s Man of the Match goes to Phil Foden for his outstanding performance, netting twice to help City secure the win. He created one big chance and delivered two key passes, showing his creativity and finishing in a high-scoring affair. Foden’s efforts stood out in midfield, driving the team forward even before his late substitution for Nathan Aké.

Recent Premier League matches:

• Loss: 4-5 vs Manchester City (H)
• Win: 2-1 vs Tottenham Hotspur (A)
• Win: 1-0 vs Sunderland (H)
• Loss: 0-2 vs Everton (A)
• Win: 3-0 vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (H)

Recent Premier League matches:

• Win: 5-4 vs Fulham (A)
• Win: 3-2 vs Leeds United (H)
• Loss: 1-2 vs Newcastle United (A)
• Win: 3-0 vs Liverpool (H)
• Win: 3-1 vs AFC Bournemouth (H)

Fulham have just suffered a narrow 4-5 defeat at home to Manchester City, leaving them in 15th place on 17 points after a patchy run that includes wins over Tottenham and Sunderland but losses to Everton and now City. They’ll look to bounce back in their next match against Crystal Palace on 2025-12-07 at 16:30, with Palace sitting 10th on 20 points and in decent form. A win could help Fulham climb away from the lower half and build some momentum.

Manchester City have just claimed a hard-fought 5-4 win away at Fulham, keeping them in 2nd place on 28 points following recent victories over Leeds, Liverpool and Bournemouth, despite a slip against Newcastle. Their next challenge is against Sunderland on 2025-12-06 at 15:00, with Sunderland in 6th on 22 points and pushing for the top spots. Three points here would solidify City’s title chase and maintain their strong position at the top.

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