Chaos at the Cottage - do Man City have defensive issues?

"City led 5-1 early in the second half after a 100th Premier League goal for Erling Haaland, a Phil Foden double, one from Tijjani Reijnders, and Sander Berge's own goal. They were seemingly cruising towards victory by a handsome margin. But Fulham, led by substitute Samuel Chukwueze, hit back with three unanswered goals and even had one effort cleared off the line in stoppage time as they came close to completing one of the great comebacks."

""I was close to scoring and then they went and made it 5-3, so that's football, that's the beauty of football," said Haaland. "That's why we love the game." The powerful Norwegian's feat of reaching 100 goals in 111 Premier League games is the fastest the century has been achieved in the competition, and he weighed in with two assists too. But City went from being a side who looked as though they could keep scoring, to being a group almost begging the final whistle to come. Guardiola joked afterwards: "I'm so old, and the players don't respect me! They don't have to treat their manager in that way. "It only happens in this league.""

"By holding on, the win put City two points behind leaders Arsenal, although they knew that gap would increase to five again if Mikel Arteta's side were to win their game in hand against Brentford on Wednesday. Manchester City's win at Fulham will have been a great watch for the neutral, with the statistics highlighting just what a thriller - and unusual result - it was: It was Fulham's first top-flight game featuring nine or more goals since a 7-2 loss at West Ham in February"

Manchester City defeated Fulham 5-4 in a nine-goal Premier League match. City surged to a 5-1 lead early in the second half through Erling Haaland's 100th Premier League goal, a Phil Foden double, a Tijjani Reijnders strike and a Sander Berge own goal. Fulham responded strongly, led by substitute Samuel Chukwueze, scoring three unanswered goals and forcing a stoppage-time clearance off the line. Haaland also provided two assists and reached 100 goals in 111 league games, the fastest century in Premier League history. The win left City two points behind Arsenal and exposed late defensive frailties that nearly cost them the points.

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