Fan-tastic victory for delighted boss Lee
BRISTOL CITY won at Craven Cottage for the second time in four days – but this hammering with two full-strength teams was far more more convincing than Wednesday’s 2-1 triumph in the EFL Cup.
And Fulham fan Lee Johnson was happy to see his City team upset the Cottagers. He said: “The family are very strong Fulham fans and they were here today. I was chuffed with the performance.
“I expected my players to play the way we did because that is what we have been doing but I didn’t expect to come here and win 4-0.”
England Under-19s forward Tammy Abraham, 18, on loan from Chelsea, whose late strike won Wednesday’s game, scored his 10th goal of the season after only 10 minutes.
Luke Freeman added a second in the 60th minute and Bobby Reid made it 3-0 eight minutes later.
Fulham finished the match a man short after Kevin McDonald was sent off 10 minutes from time and Aden Flint scored City’s fourth four minutes later.
City took the lead when captain Marlon Pack sent Jamie Paterson clear down the right and Abraham, unmarked, volleyed his cross into the roof of the net from three yards.
City doubled their lead just before the hour. Lee Tomlin weaved past three defenders and found Freeman, who struck the ball low across David Button and just inside the far upright.
It was 3-0 after 68 minutes, midfielder Reid connecting with a 20-yarder that skidded low past Button’s right hand and into the bottom corner.
Fulham’s dismal afternoon got worse when McDonald was shown a red card for a studs-first challenge on City substitute Callum O’Dowda.
And the depleted Cottagers conceded a fourth, Flint running in to net from close range after Paterson had hit the ball low across goal.
Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic said: “We didn’t deserve the difference in goals but we are not as solid as we were at the beginning of the season.” TEN TEN
Yet this sixth straight league victory, which took City four points clear at the top of the table, was definitely not the perfect Pep performance. Far from it.
That was plain to see as the brilliant Spanish coach, who has now equalled the best start by a new Premier League boss, cut a frustrated figure for much of yesterday afternoon.
Sure, his visitors left with a maximum return once again – to maintain their sizzling 100 per cent record for the 2016-17 season.
But the fact that a Swansea side, struggling near the basement and with a manager seemingly on the brink of the sack, could run his pacesetters so close was a huge surprise.
And a timely reminder that while City might seem red-hot certainties to lift their first league title in three years, nothing can be taken for granted at this stage.
The Etihad chief, who has matched Carlo Ancelotti’s six-game winning start as Chelsea boss in 2009, said: “Today we missed the last pass so many times. That was the main problem. “But Swansea are a difficult team, with some quality players. They started very well and we were lucky to be ahead. But after they scored we got better. We deserved to win.” And he was full of praise for Aguero after he took his season’s tally to 11 goals in six outings. Guardiola added: “I want to congratulate him on his performance, especially for the first goal.” The one sour note for City was Kevin De Bruyne limping off near the end. Guardiola said: “Kevin is injured. It’s a pity. It looked like a muscle injury.” But if it is way too early to hand City the Premier League crown, you could argue the same with those writing off Francesco Guidolin’s credentials as Swansea boss ahead of kick-off.
Only that is to ignore the fact there have been huge doubts about this personable Italian ever since he arrived here last January. Many Swans fans felt the club would have been relegated in May but for those sides below them being so rubbish.
Hence the genuine stunned disbelief when Guidolin was given a new deal in the summer rather than being sent on his way.
But the stakes could barely have been higher for him yesterday amid speculation that Ryan Giggs would soon be taking the reins.
Facing a rampant, unbeaten City for the second time