Fulham 0-2 Man City: Ilkay Gundogan scores spectacular overhead kick as Pep Guardiola's men seal third place in the Premier League
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- Ilkay Gundogan broke the deadlock with an acrobatic effort during the first half
- Erling Haaland doubled lead from the penalty spot after Gundogan was fouled
- LISTEN NOW: It's All Kicking Off! Should Oliver Glasner leave Palace for Spurs?
Everything is relative and as Pep Guardiola’s worst Premier League season ended with Champions League qualification, Manchester United were storming past that magic 40-point mark.
Thoughts turned to those back home by Manchester City supporters down here, who spent the opening six minutes of this victory solidly chanting about Ruben Amorim, ‘tears in the Stretford End’ and were later doing the Poznan once Erling Haaland’s penalty made the points – and their own destiny – safe.
They kept revisiting Amorim at regular intervals, singing on the way to Putney Bridge as the Portuguese was apologising to Old Trafford. Things might have been bad this year but have a look at next door.
Fifteen years on the bounce now for City in Europe’s premier competition and they have gone the scenic route to that destination this time, perhaps no better way to finish that than on the banks of the Thames when the sun’s peeking through.
Third, behind Liverpool and Arsenal, is a major surprise given how abject this team became before New Year. When the legs went, when the captain Kyle Walker called it off and headed for Milan, when injuries relentlessly kept coming.
So while Guardiola will not make any great declarations that this is anywhere near comparable to the silverware and dominance of the recent past, there will be a quiet gratification at earning this when things seemed to be heading south.
In theory it offers City more financial flexibility when reshaping the squad this summer – although Guardiola later cast doubt on the extent of that, also admitting that the omitted Jack Grealish could leave - and takes them to the Club World Cup in an improved headspace.
‘Jack’s an unbelievable player who has to play football every three days,’ Guardiola said. ‘It didn't happen this season and last season either. He needs to do it - with us or another place.
‘It's not personal. I'm the person who fought for him to come here and the person who fought for him to stay here this season and last season. I'm the one who said I want Jack Grealish.’
But not here and not now. A win, it transpired, was not required, and Fulham created problems – created moments of danger, forcing Ederson into action. But once Kevin De Bruyne was introduced, to a standing ovation from some sections of Craven Cottage – underlining the reverence with which the great is held – City were home and dry.
Ilkay Gundogan started that and the purity of his overhead kick, kissing the underside of Bernd Leno’s goal with a large degree of satisfaction, was what made the 21st-minute opener such a spectacle. Laced perfectly after Matheus Nunes – marauding down Fulham’s left all afternoon – had the beating of an unusually out of sorts Antonee Robinson in the build-up.
There didn’t seem the room for Gundogan to contort his body, to engineer the strike, which made the finish all the more impressive. Remarkably, his first league goal since returning last summer. Gundogan has triggered a year’s extension and his form in recent weeks has indicated that the German can still have a role to play here.
So too Bernardo Silva, who ran proceedings early on from an off-right central midfield area. The frequency of City’s vertical balls, bypassing the little square passes, frightened Kenny Tete while marking Jeremy Doku, who regularly turned on the jets. So quick and so tricky, Doku electrified until he entered the box – his main contributions a cutback for Omar Marmoush and seeing his own deflected effort fly wide after Gundogan’s instinctive volley into open space despite countless opportunities.
‘New faces will come, especially in positions where we are weaker, but I don't think a lot,’ Guardiola said. ‘The most important thing is how we create our connection and vibes between all of us to compete everywhere. This season, especially in the difficult months, we were not able to do it. We were miles away.’
Leno thwarted Josko Gvardiol’s bullet header with his nose, while Ederson twice repelled Harry Wilson when floating in off the right.
Tom Cairney, on what appears his final outing here after signing two months before Kevin De Bruyne pitched up at the Etihad Stadium, saw an effort blocked by Manuel Akanji and curled another wide. The Fulham skipper appeared forlorn when later substituted, while Marco Silva confirmed he’d remain as manager. ‘We had enough,’ Silva said. ‘The result should be different. It was a great season.’
Ederson’s rush of blood, haring out 30 yards from his own goal, should have been capitalised on by Raul Jiminez. His shanked half-volley never threatened the empty net and as Adama Traore couldn’t find the final ball in much the same way as Doku, Gundogan won a penalty with 20 minutes left when tripped by Sasa Lukic.
The away fans chanted for Ederson to take but Haaland, who had to wait almost two minutes from the whistle blowing, stroked into the corner and City’s stars later forced a bashful De Bruyne to savour his moment.
