MAHR MIGHT
Fulham get a taste of what Prem holds in store...
FOR all that Fulham look odds-on to reach the promised land next season, they were given a glimpse here of how difficult the terrain might be once there.
There was no shame in going down to the Premier League leaders and reigning champions – but as a reminder to ‘be careful what you wish for’ the message of this defeat was crystal clear.
For around six minutes Fulham and their fans were allowed to dream of a famous FA Cup afternoon, after Fabio Carvalho gave them an early lead.
But it was like poking at a wasps’ nest and they ended up stung four times by Manchester City.
Riyad Mahrez was magnificent, providing an assist, a penalty and a firsttime finish, but Kevin De
Bruyne was not far behind him as City came charging back from the early shock.
Ilkay Gundogan, John Stones and Mahrez, with two, did the damage.
Pep Guardiola singled out Gundogan and Mahrez for special praise labelling the latter “quality”.
The City boss said: “Riyad is quality and he always has that mentality to score.
“Whenever he gets close to the box you have a feeling he will score a goal.
“And we struggled to score penalties in the last few years but he has the personality to say, ‘Give me the ball and I will score it’. Not just at 4-0 but in the pressure situations too.”
It was a result that put City in this morning’s fifthround draw for a competition they last won in 2018-19 – and left Fulham clear to concentrate on their promotion campaign.
Guardiola had flagged up Fulham’s attacking threat in the build-up to this clash and he was right to do so. “I am not exaggerating, they are a really good side,” said Guardiola.
“Marco Silva has created an incredible team. We spoke a lot with the players about how difficult it would be.
“If they play this way for the rest of the season we’ll play them in the Premier League for sure.”
Fulham have been prolific in the Championship this season boasting a better goals-per-game strike rate – 74 in 28 games – than any team operating in the top five divisions. Yet even they could not have dreamt of the start they got here, with Liverpool target Carvalho tapping in on four minutes after Harry Wilson’s clever square ball.
City were level inside two minutes – with Gundogan’s neat finish inside the area, after Joao Cancelo’s cross was put in his path by Mahrez.
Cottagers boss Silva said: “Our first goal was a very good moment but they equalised straight away. We must show more resilience.”
Things worsened for Fulham on 13 minutes when Stones put City in front with a well-placed glanced header from De Bruyne’s corner.
Early in the second period
Mahrez took it out of sight, converting a penalty after Jack Grealish was fouled by Joe Bryan, then slotting home after Harrison Reed’s misplaced back pass was pounced on by De Bruyne.
Mahrez is City’s leading scorer, with 15 goals in all competitions, and is turning into their go-to man, showing Grealish and Raheem Sterling the benefit of hitting the ball first time.
Silva has now locked horns with Guardiola nine times – with Olympiakos, Hull, Everton, Watford and now Fulham – and lost every game.
If he is to get the chance again twice next season he better start planning now.