Match of the Day duo Gary Lineker and Jermaine Jenas have hailed Manchester City for their ‘scary’ performance in Saturday’s dramatic late win over Fulham.
The Premier League champions took a lead through Julian Alvarez’s 16th-minute strike, but were reduced to 10 men just 10 minutes later when Joao Cancelo was dismissed for a clumsy challenge inside his own penalty area. Andreas Pereira subsequently converted from the spot to bring the visitors level.
From that point onwards, however, City were almost entirely dominant, monopolising possession and creating a number of good chances. Their superiority was eventually awarded in stoppage-time when Kevin De Bruyne was brought down inside the Fulham box, with substitute Erling Haaland stepping up to register his 18th goal in 12 Premier League matches this term.
And despite their numerical disadvantage, Lineker and Jenas were suitably impressed with City’s uncompromising display. Speaking on Match of the Day, host Lineker said: “Maybe City can play every game with 10 men, and then it would even up the league and give everyone else a little bit of a chance – but even with 10 men for much of the game they had 71 percent possession and made 706 passes. It’s remarkable, really.”
Jenas responded: “It was scary reading, and it was incredible to watch, it really was. Pep [Guardiola] must have been delighted with the way his team reacted to the red card. The Cancelo red card is a red card, it’s clear – he doesn’t make an attempt to play the ball so the referee had to send him off.
“But everything from that point was about complete control. Bernardo Silva was brilliant – they all were. It’s good players knowing how to get on the ball and keep the ball. It’s total football. It’s just ‘go out there and peform’.
“Fulham actually provided a really good press, but they just don’t care, City,” he added. “They take risks, they take responsibility. Alvarez is chasing his own flick-ons – that shows you that fight, that desire which Pep spoke about. City take the heart out of you when they play this way. And when they come into the final third, now it’s like ‘game on’. This is what they do. It was a pleasure to watch City today, they were brilliant.”
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