CITY NOW UNBEATEN IN 19 CUP GAMES OVER TW0 YEARS!
MAN CITY 4 FULHAM 0:
LOOK up the definition of routine, and it could easily say: Manchester City at home against a lower league side.
Add in a red card for that lower league opposition after just six minutes and it becomes a training ground leg stretch, not a romantic FA Cup tie. City have not lost a domestic cup encounter since they were beaten by Wigan in February 2018, a run now of 19 matches. With Fulham losing their skipper Tim
Ream to a stupid dismissal when the contest had barely started, there was simply no chance of that record being challenged. The only surprise was the home side’s failure to score more.
Under Pep Guardiola they have played six FA Cup ties at the Etihad. Before this game they had 25 goals from five matches, so a total of only four against the Championship side was actually a below-par performance.
Yet you can hardly blame
City. They were able to go through the motions after Ream pulled down
Gabriel Jesus in the box, with no intent to play the ball.
It was an obvious foul, and a senseless one, with Ilkay Gundogan stepping up to the convert the penalty anyway.
At 1-0 down it was a mountain to climb for Fulham. Without their captain, it was mission impossible.
They mustered one shot on goal, and had a mild penalty claim themselves in the second half.
But really, it was a game that resembled those run-throughs without the ball that obsessive coaches do
in the build up to matches.
City did not need their usual intensity, they just needed patience. Within 19 minutes the game was effectively over.
When youngster Phil Foden fed Bernardo Silva on the edge of the box he dribbled into the area, then out again. Surrounded by four opponents, but unchallenged, Bernardo was given time to fire home into the corner of the net.
From there, as boss Guardiola admitted afterwards, City understandably turned their thoughts to the midweek Carabao Cup encounter against Manchester United, with a strolling display lifted only by the excellence of David Silva. They did at least reach 100 goals for the campaign for the fourth year in succession under the Spanish coach, thanks to the clinical striker’s instinct of Jesus.
He may not have the experience or ruthless positional play of Aguero yet, but he was far too good for Fulham.
His first goal came on 72 minutes when the visiting side paid the price for a dangerous desire to play the ball out of defence at all costs. Decordova-Reid lost it, Cancelo crossed, and the Brazilian rammed a header home.
It was worse for Fulham three minutes later when this time Hector casually gave the ball away.
When Foden’s shot was saved, Jesus was perfectly placed to turn the ball into the empty net.
The surprise was there were no more goals, though sub Raheem Sterling missed a sitter and also hit the bar,
But yet again City have dealt contemptuously with the lower league fodder they always seemed served up in the cups.
PEP GUARDIOLA says Manchester City’s bid for a cup treble does not mean they’ll give up the fight in the Premier League.
The Blues boss saw his side stroll through to the fifth round of the FA Cup, and stay on course to defend the trophy they won last season, with a bloodless victory over Fulham.
With City overwhelming favourites to beat Manchester United on Wednesday night to progress to the Carabao Cup final, and also the bookies’ pick to lift the Champions League, a treble is a real target.
Guardiola said: “The determination has always been there to go for the three trophies this season and to keep fighting in the Premier League too. That hasn’t changed.
“We are fighting every day to achieve our goals.
“The chance is still there (for a treble) and we will keep going. The next one is United a chance to get to the final again.
“Hopefully against United the fans will come and our stadium will be full.”
That last reference from Guardiola was perhaps a nod to the subdued atmosphere at the Etihad yesterday which seemed barely two-thirds full for the visit of Fulham and saw fans leaving early after a routine victory.
But the Spaniard insisted his team would have faced a bigger challenge but for a red card to Fulham skipper Tim Ream after six minutes.
“For one or two minutes I thought it would be tough, tough game because they competed and were aggressive up front,” said Guardiola.
“It is a team with a lot of courage, and I really think it would have been hard for us against 11. But after the red card it was a little bit different, because they could not run.
“Okay it was over after 3-0, but I think we were a little bit flat at times.”
7 Did exactly as asked – scored goals and cause a real threat
SUBS: STERLING (Mahrez 52) STONES (Otamendi 72)
RODRI (Gundogan 73) 6 6 6