No looking back for City as Gvardiol lays down gauntlet
Defender’s two goals, a Foden strike and Álvarez penalty turn up the heat on rivals Arsenal
Pep Guardiola had feared seeing Manchester City’s title defence kicked into the long grass but instead they cut yet another opponent down to size.
Such was the smothering inevitability here that it is difficult to see anything beyond a fresh coronation next Sunday, or perhaps sooner if their local rivals are prepared to perform a neighbourly favour. Two wins in the next week will guarantee a familiar scene of celebration regardless of today’s events at Old Trafford.
Fulham cannot be blamed for that. They began with bright eyes and bushy tails but were slowly dampened and then utterly crushed. The game could have been played a thousand times without any deviation from an outcome that, from the moment Josko Gvardiol put City ahead, was in no doubt. Perhaps the only mild surprise was that the champions, having drained any fight from Marco Silva’s players, did not score more. Goal difference could yet be a factor on the final day, although that would probably require City to falter at Tottenham on Tuesday, and Arsenal hold sway on that sole front.
When the dust has settled Arsenal may rue their New Year’s Eve no-show at this venue. Wary of a similar shock Guardiola had tailored City’s preparations to the dry, roughly cut surface he expected here; in the event a slick, well-watered pitch allowed them to strut their stuff and only the briefest of alarms after half-time threatened any inconvenience.
Gvardiol’s contribution to their tally was perfectly timed. The leftback, a converted central defender, only broke his duck last month but has now scored five times in seven games. His opener was a monument to running power, strength and elegance; he prodded City’s third more opportunistically and it was a good moment to be clinical on an afternoon when Erling Haaland’s bearings were awry. Phil Foden’s 25th goal of the season was tucked away in between and a Julián Álvarez penalty ensured the margin of victory offered an accurate reflection.
It was clear enough that Gvardiol fancied a crack at that spot kick, and a possible hat-trick, before he was ushered gently away from the spot. Guardiola later suggested the Croatia international should have kept his second-half performance simpler, reminding everyone that defence must be his priority. The manager was probably splitting hairs out of obligation; in the previous breath he had jokingly described Gvardiol as “the best winger on the planet”.
No forward would have sniffed at the 13th minute goal that, after a sprightly start by Fulham, set City off. Gvardiol looked anything but a square peg in a round hole when, after driving inside, he took a return pass from Kevin De Bruyne and evaded Issa Diop with an immaculate
first touch. Now he had space to beat Bernd Leno and did so with a carefully rolled right-footed finish from 15 yards. Few who enjoyed his emergence as a pillar in the middle with RB Leipzig could have seen that coming.
The rest of the first half was played at near walking pace for extended periods, the only hindrance to City being an injury to Nathan Aké that meant Kyle Walker was introduced earlier than Guardiola might have liked.
Fulham’s periods of possession became ragged; City hardly turned the taps on with theirs but could still have streaked further ahead. Haaland hooked over when well placed, while another Gvardiol rampage resulted in Leno making an extravagant catch from Bernardo Silva’s curled shot. Foden forced another stop from range and Diop blocked twice, the first of them after De Bruyne had looked likely to crown a run down the left.
Perhaps City needed to go through the gears. Shortly after Leno had made his best save of the afternoon, repelling Silva’s near-post effort in the 53rd minute, there came a reminder that no single-goal lead is secure. The Fulham substitute Adama Traoré blazed down the right and centred towards Rodrigo Muniz; while Rodri intervened with a timely toepoke, the ball was dribbling towards the far post until Ederson fell onto it.
Predictably enough, the wake-up call was heeded. De Bruyne drew a sprawling stop from Leno and then, just before the hour, the points were guaranteed. Silva spun Antonee Robinson high on the right and made for the penalty area before João Palhinha halted him with a fair, thudding tackle. The crowd roared their approval but were silent a second later when Foden, spinning onto the loose ball, guided a low shot beyond Leno’s dive.
Haaland spooned over as openings began to arrive regularly. It was Gvardiol who again made one count, stealing in at the back post to squeeze in Silva’s delivery with an outstretched toe. He delayed his celebration, presuming an offside, but neither the assistant referee nor a VAR check detected an infraction. When the goal was confirmed, a previously taut Guardiola allowed himself a smile.
The substitute Álvarez wrapped things up after being fouled by Diop, who was shown a second yellow card. For all Guardiola’s fretting, City simply belonged on a different pitch.