GONE IN SIX MINUTES!
Early red card and penalty scupper Fulham’s chances
IlKay GUnDOGan threaded a pass through for Gabriel Jesus and tim ream hauled the Brazilian back in the box. Penalty to Manchester City. red card for ream. Game over.
there were less than six minutes gone when the Fulham skipper fouled Jesus and eight when Gundogan stepped up to beat Marek rodak from the spot, and already we were staring at a foregone conclusion. no wonder the etihad felt flat.
It was a silly challenge by ream after David Silva’s dummy had allowed Gundogan’s pass to run through to Jesus. He didn’t even try to protest his innocence, a resigned glance over his shoulder at referee Kevin Friend telling us that he knew what was coming. the City fans raised a muted cheer when Friend pointed to the spot and sent off ream.
Gundogan guided his penalty inside rodak’s right-hand post and the Fa Cup holders were on their way to victory against a team who had to play more than 80 minutes with 10 men.
‘We understand the challenge when you come to play a worldclass team and the preparation goes out of the window after six minutes when you go down to 10 men and they score a goal,’ acknowledged Fulham boss Scott Parker. ‘ everything we planned for we had to change because of the red card. tim is devastated. He made a mistake. In the heat of the moment you sometimes make the wrong decisions.’
City are not a team who need help winning cup ties. Since a shock Fa Cup loss to Wigan in February 2018, this was Pep Guardiola’s 19th straight victory if you count penalty shootouts. Having celebrated a domestic treble last season, City breezed into the fifth round of the Fa Cup yesterday and will almost certainly reach the Carabao Cup final on Wednesday when they face Manchester United here defending a 3-1 lead from the first leg.
all the more peculiar then to hear Guardiola recently suggest scrapping the league Cup — a competition City have won in four of the last six years — and Fa Cup replays. not that there was any danger of Fulham taking City back to Craven Cottage following ream’s rush of blood.
Such was the lack of threat from an injury-hit attack that City’s redundant goalkeeper Claudio Bravo ventured out of his goal midway through the first half to limber up and, you suspect, enjoy a change of scenery.
It took until the 19th minute for City’s second goal to arrive when Bernardo Silva got the ball at the end of a quick passing move involving angelino, David Silva and Phil Foden. the Portugal winger was being marked by his old Benfica academy pal Ivan Cavaleiro and led him a merry dance around the box, twisting this way and that before burying a shot in the bottom corner.
It was City’s 100th goal of the season in all competitions, becoming the first team in europe’s major leagues to reach their century. they didn’t score again until just before the hour, although substitute raheem Sterling hit the bar, and then Jesus struck twice in three minutes after a tiring Fulham were punished for trying to play out from the back.
City won the ball back and Joao Cancelo crossed to the far post for Jesus to head just inside the upright. then the excellent David Silva intercepted Michael Hector’s pass and fed Foden whose shot was saved by rodak, but the ball bounced up invitingly for Jesus to nod in.
Having made eight changes, Guardiola could easily make eight more against United. there is a slight concern over aymeric laporte who didn’t play yesterday because he had ‘fatigue’ after returning from four-and-a-halfmonths out with a knee injury, while riyad Mahrez and Cancelo picked up knocks.
‘We didn’t want to take a risk,’ said Guardiola. ‘We spoke with him and the doctors, and if he is not ready he is not going to play.’
the City boss is certainly hoping for a more lively etihad for the United game after a crowd of 39,223 struggled to raise themselves for this one.
He said: ‘ Hopefully against United our fans can come and make our stadium full. It gives a chance to go back to Wembley.’
MANCHESTER CITY (4-3-3): Bravo 6; Cancelo 7, Otamendi 6.5 (Stones 74min, 6), Garcia 6.5, Angelino 6.5; Bernardo 7, Gundogan 7.5 (Rodri 75, 6), SILVA 8; Mahrez 6.5 (Sterling 53, 6), Jesus 7.5, Foden 6.5. Subs not used: Ederson, Aguero, Zinchenko, De Bruyne. Scorers: Gundogan (pen) 8, Bernardo 19, Jesus 72, 75.
Manager: Pep Guardiola 7. FULHAM (4-4-2): Rodak 5.5; Christie 6, Hector 5.5, Ream 3, Kongolo 6 (Jasper 83); Johansen 6, S Sessegnon 6.5, Bryan 5, Onomah 5.5; Decordova-Reid 5 (Odoi 78), Cavaleiro 6 (Cairney 67). Subs not used: Bettinelli, McDonald, De la Torre, Stansfield. Booked: Bryan. Sent off: Ream.
Manager: Scott Parker 5. Referee: Kevin Friend 7.
Attendance: 39,223.