Manchester City Cruise Past Fulham to Narrow Arsenal Gap

Key Takeaways:

• Manchester City defeated Fulham 3-0 last night in the Premier League’s 26th round, moving within three points of leaders Arsenal
• The Citizens set a new record for the longest consecutive wins over a single Premier League rival
• Erling Haaland scored his first open play goal in 2026, as City effectively secured the victory in the first half

Comprehensive First-Half Dominance at the Etihad

Manchester City dispatched Fulham 3-0 in a commanding display at the Etihad Stadium, injecting fresh suspense into the Premier League title race by closing the gap to top-placed Arsenal to just three points. The hosts were relentless in the opening 45 minutes, netting all three goals and establishing full control before the break. Antoine Semenyo broke the deadlock on 25 minutes, Nico O’Reilly doubled the advantage five minutes later, and Erling Haaland added a third in the 39th minute with his first open play strike of the calendar year.

Despite a rejuvenated performance by the visitors in the second half, Fulham could not find a breakthrough, squandering several opportunities to register a consolation goal.

+3 💪

🩵 3-0 ⚫️ @okx pic.twitter.com/q6BMFhkNmY

— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 11, 2026

Title Race Implications and League Standings

With this victory, Manchester City have momentarily reduced Arsenal’s lead ahead of the “Gunners” crucial London derby against Brentford. As the round began, City trailed the North Londoners by six points, but now they find themselves within striking distance, eagerly awaiting the outcome of the next fixture.

Maintaining the pressure behind them, Aston Villa also claimed three points against second-to-bottom Burnley, meaning that the race for the top spots remains fiercely contested. Fulham, meanwhile, stay marooned in mid-table with a safeguard of 10 points above the relegation zone, but missed a chance to move closer to Europa qualification spots. The distance to European places widened even further for Marco da Silva’s side, following Liverpool’s 1-0 away win over Sunderland – a result unexpected given Liverpool’s poor away form and Sunderland’s previously unbeaten home record since their top-flight return.

Team Selections and Tactical Decisions

Manchester City manager Josep Guardiola made just two alterations to the line-up that edged Liverpool 2-1 three days ago, bringing in Ruben Dias and Phil Foden in place of Omar Marmoush and Abdukodir Khusanov. The scorers of that earlier victory, Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland, both retained their starting roles, though Bernardo Silva’s accumulation of six yellow cards makes him a suspension risk as the season unfolds.

Marco da Silva also rang two changes for Fulham after their disappointing 1-2 reverse to Everton, reinstating Kenny Tete and Calvin Bassey in place of Timothy Castagne and Jorge Cuenca. Bernd Leno kept his spot in goal despite his own goal at the weekend.

Match Analysis and Key Moments

Fulham looked bright in the opening exchanges, seeking to control the midfield and spring forward quickly, but City’s sustained pressing soon paid dividends. The hosts forced a series of corners, and only a save from Leno denied Nunes after Bernardo Silva orchestrated a clever passage of play. Fulham had chances of their own; Alex Iwobi’s shot won their first corner after a rare foray forward, and Harry Wilson came close to levelling shortly after Semenyo’s opener – only for Gianluigi Donnarumma to produce an outstanding double save.

Momentum then decisively swung City’s way. O’Reilly increased the margin before half-time and Haaland’s powerful drive made it 3-0, ending his wait for an open play goal in 2026. Fulham threatened through Smith Rowe and Raúl Jiménez, but the poor surface – saturated by heavy rain – made finishing tricky.

After the interval, Fulham pressed for a reply, but Donnarumma again frustrated them, stopping efforts from Smith Rowe and a close-range header by Jiménez. Substitute Rodrigo Muniz had Fulham’s best second-half chance, yet was again denied by the Italian goalkeeper’s excellence.

The match’s emotional highlight arrived in the 72nd minute as former City player Oscar Bobb entered for Fulham, receiving warm applause from the Etihad crowd. In the latter stages, tempers briefly boiled over when referee Paul Tierney booked both O’Reilly and Guardiola after a heated touchline exchange.

Fulham’s final effort came through Joshua King, whose long-range attempt forced another fine stop from Donnarumma. Oscar Bobb nearly marked his return with a late goal amid a goalmouth scramble, but Tijjani Reijnders intervened to protect City’s clean sheet. After 90 minutes plus stoppage, City emerged with a statement win on home turf, maintaining hopes of regaining the title last lifted in 2024.

Key Match Statistics