Despite requiring a stoppage-time winner to beat Leedsat the weekend, City moved within five points of leaders Arsenal. Pep Guardiola’s men had the chance to put some pressure on here, and wasted no time in taking that opportunity.
They came within a whisker of the opener inside six minutes when Erling Haaland hit the post from a position where he would have expected to score.
However, the Norway international did not waste his next opening, sweeping home Jeremy Doku’s low cross for his 100th PL goal, becoming the fastest player to reach that milestone in just 111 games.
Emile Smith Rowe was the hosts’ biggest threat, forcing Gianluigi Donnarumma into a low save before firing over.
Haaland, though, turned provider as half-time approached, feeding Tijjani Reijnders before the Netherlands international chipped over the onrushing Bernd Leno.
Before long, the away side were three to the good courtesy of Phil Foden’s stunning strike from outside the box.
While Fulham were given a lesson in clinical finishing by their opponents in the first period, they did give themselves hope by reducing the deficit prior to the interval via Smith Rowe’s clever header.
That hope appeared to have been extinguished within 10 minutes of the restart. Foden soon had his second of the game, slotting in from a tight angle, before Doku’s shot deflected off Sander Berge and crept in just under the crossbar. That was City’s fifth goal of the game - the first time they have managed that at Craven Cottage since 1927.
Fulham did pull one back when Alex Iwobi curled a fantastic low shot into the bottom from the edge of the box, but were initially unable to build up any momentum, with City coming close again when an unmarked Haaland headed against the post.
Fulham were able to energise their comeback though, and with a little under 20 minutes remaining, they set up an intriguing climax to the encounter as Samuel Chukwueze volleyed into the corner for his first Fulham goal.
In a game that just kept on giving, the Nigerian soon had a second for the Cottagers, producing another arrowing finish into the corner after Donnarumma was all at sea from a corner.
Roared on by a bewildered home crowd, Fulham pushed for an equaliser, but Josh King saw a late chance cleared off the line as they were ultimately unable to find a goal that would have capped off one of the most incredible comebacks in PL history.
Man City have now won four of their last five league games, while this is Fulham’s first loss in three games, while Fulham suffered just a second home league defeat of the season.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Samuel Chukwueze (Fulham)
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