Manchester City reignited the Premier League title chase with a dominant home success over Fulham, slicing the deficit to leaders Arsenal down to three points.
Pep Guardiola’s team followed up their dramatic late recovery at Liverpool by delivering a sharp and efficient display at the Etihad Stadium, settling the contest before the interval.
Fulham, by contrast, slipped to a third straight defeat after being overwhelmed by a blistering opening spell that left them chasing shadows for much of the night.
First-half burst decides the contest
The damage was done inside a frantic 15-minute window during the first period, when City struck three times to put the result beyond doubt.
The breakthrough came via a costly error, as Sander Berge’s attempted defensive header fell straight to Antoine Semenyo, who finished from close range to continue his prolific start following his January move.
Semenyo soon switched roles, slipping a clever pass into the path of Nico O’Reilly, who lifted the ball neatly over Bernd Leno, before Phil Foden released Erling Haaland to steer a precise shot into the corner and complete the first-half scoring.
Guardiola’s men gather momentum
City’s recent wobble at the start of the year now feels distant, with this victory marking their third win in four outings, the only dropped points coming after surrendering a two-goal lead at Tottenham.
Their home form has been particularly imposing, stretching an unbeaten run at the Etihad to 12 matches and yielding 47 points from a possible 54.
Semenyo’s influence continues to grow, with a goal and an assist here taking him to 17 league goal contributions, while Haaland’s 22nd strike of the campaign allowed Guardiola the luxury of withdrawing him early.
Fulham woes and unwanted records
For Fulham, the evening reinforced an increasingly grim pattern against City, as Marco Silva’s side struggled to escape the hosts’ intense pressing and attacking movement.
A rare opening arrived when Harry Wilson tested Gianluigi Donnarumma with a low effort at 1-0, but the save proved pivotal as City tightened their grip thereafter.
The defeat extended Silva’s personal losing streak to 14 Premier League encounters against City and marked a 20th consecutive loss for Fulham against the same opponents across all competitions, an unprecedented run in English football.