5 Things We Learned from Manchester City’s 5-4 Win over Fulham.

1. A Neutral's Dream Game.

Manchester City’s clash turned into one of the wildest games of the season. Early goals from Erling Haaland and Tijjani Reijnders put City comfortably 2–0 ahead, before Phil Foden added a third just before half-time. Although Emile Smith Rowe quickly pulled one back, City looked firmly in control when Foden struck again and a Sander Berge own goal made it 5-1. But the match flipped dramatically in the final stages. A sudden defensive collapse opened the door for Alex Iwobi and a spectacular two-goal burst from Samuel Chukwueze, dragging the scoreline to 5-4. It's fair to say that City got away with one in the second half.

2. Never Doubt Phil Foden. Again.

   
   

Phil Foden is unquestionably Manchester City’s most in-form player right now. After scoring a brace against Leeds, he followed it up with another two goals against Fulham, dragging City through a chaotic nine-goal thriller. His confidence and composure in the final third is what's been carrying this side when it matters most. With the ongoing debate around how Thomas Tuchel should structure England’s midfield for the upcoming World Cup, Foden is doing everything humanly possible to prove he must start. He's the man for the job.

3. Manchester City Are Conceding Far Too Many Goals

   
   

Six points from six is the only real positive. Defensively, City have been nowhere near good enough. Conceding six goals in two games against a struggling Leeds side and a Fulham team City were beating 5-1 tells its own story. The second-half collapse at Craven Cottage was alarming, with Fulham repeatedly finding pockets of space and scoring from distance in almost identical fashion. If City want to stay in the title fight deep into the season, this level of defensive inconsistency cannot continue.

4. Erling Haaland Is the Best Striker on the Planet

   
   

This one writes itself. Erling Haaland has officially broken Alan Shearer’s record for the fastest player to reach 100 Premier League goals, doing it in just 111 matches, beating Shearer’s previous mark of 124. It’s outrageous, it’s historic, and it’s yet another entry in Haaland’s ever-growing list of achievements. There is simply no one like him in world football.

5. The Premier League Title Race Hasn’t Even Started Yet

Despite the chaos, the inconsistency and the defensive issues, Manchester City remain firmly in the title race. We head into the Christmas period just five points behind Arsenal, with City on 28 points and the Gunners on 33. Arsenal have been strong, but they’ve only won one more game than City. Crucially, they still have to visit the Etihad in mid-April. If history tells us anything, it’s that Arsenal leads don’t always survive the run-in. Just last season, Arsenal were six points clear at Christmas and still ended up finishing behind City in May. Nothing is settled. Not even close.

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