Just when Manchester City seemed poised for a rout, the game at Craven Cottage exploded into a wild affair, turning a 5-1 lead for the visitors into a nail-biting 5-4 final score in a true celebration of football. Despite defensive errors from both sides, the suspense until the very end and the flurry of goals had the packed crowd on the edge of their seats. This was one of those matches where both teams deserved to win!
Manchester City had a golden opportunity to put pressure on Arsenal and cut their deficit to Mikel Arteta's side to just two points. They started strong, and the opening goal could have come early, but Haaland, uncharacteristically, missed a clear one-on-one chance, hitting the post.
With Manchester City dominating possession, Fulham sought to respond with swift counter-attacks, featuring active roles from Wilson and Smith Rowe.
But Haaland isn't one to miss twice, and in the 17th minute, he put Manchester City ahead with an unstoppable left-footed strike. This goal also ended the Norwegian's three-game scoring drought.
Haaland is a true phenomenon, making history at Craven Cottage by scoring his 100th goal in just 111 Premier League appearances.
Trailing, Fulham began to play with a higher line. Iwobi threatened repeatedly, but the clearest chance fell to Smith Rowe, whose powerful, angled shot was only denied by a fantastic save from Donnarumma.
Manchester City didn't let up. After scoring, Haaland assisted Reijnders for City's second goal. Everything seemed too easy for Pep Guardiola's side on what was expected to be a very challenging away trip.
In a near-perfect first half for Manchester City, the third goal came from a corner by Reijnders, with the ball falling to Foden at the edge of the box, who then fired an angled shot into the net, adding his name to the scoresheet.
In a crazy first half, there was still time for Smith Rowe to score a deserved goal, sending a clear message that the game was far from over, despite Manchester City's near-perfect performance up to that point.
Fulham started the second half well, but a glaring defensive error gifted Foden his second goal, seemingly sealing the game. Interestingly, before the ball reached the Englishman, it deflected off Haaland's heel, making him decisive even unintentionally.
Doku then added his mark on the path to a rout, scoring Manchester City's fifth with a stroke of luck. He lost the ball, won a rebound, and his angled shot found the back of the net.
It was a heavy punishment for Fulham, who deserved their goal to make it 5-2, with an unstoppable, angled shot from Iwobi. Fulham refused to surrender, pushing Manchester City back into their own half, but Haaland remained a constant threat, hitting the post again in the 70th minute, this time with a powerful header.
The excitement was endless, and another incredible moment unfolded as Chukwueze unleashed a thunderbolt, beating Donnarumma. VAR spent a long time reviewing the play, but the goal stood, marking the Nigerian's debut goal in the Premier League.
Shortly after, Chukwueze bagged his second, and what once seemed like a miracle now felt within reach, sending the fans in the stands into a frenzy. Manchester City wobbled, Pep Guardiola had to make changes, but ultimately, victory went to the visitors.