Manchester City have cut Arsenal’s lead at the top of the Premier League table to just three points before the Gunners are next in action on Thursday.
Pep Guardiola’s side made light work of Fulham at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, dominating from the start and going ahead 24 minutes in through January signing Antoine Semenyo.
That lead was doubled only six minutes later when Nico O’Reilly applied the composed finish to a sweeping team move that started deep in City territory. Even the referee deserves credit for allowing the advantage to unfold when Erling Haaland was fouled.
Haaland added the third himself before the interval, powering a finish beyond Bernd Leno after Rayan Aït-Nouri won the ball near the halfway line and Phil Foden played it into the Norwegian’s path. There was virtually no back-lift on the shot and a run of three Premier League games without a goal last month has suddenly become two in his last two.
Fulham had their best moments after the break, threatening a consolation on a couple of occasions. But there was already a sense anything would be too little too late and the second half fizzled out.
One Thing We Can’t Ignore
A lot of focus will be on Manchester City’s attacking talents, but centre back Rúben Dias starting his first game in just over a month is significant in relation to their title challenge. The Portuguese was last named in the XI for the 1–1 draw against Chelsea on Jan. 4, tellingly forcibly withdrawn shortly before City conceded the very late equaliser in that frustrating setback.
During his absence from the lineup—Dias made a comeback off the bench against Liverpool at the weekend—clean sheets haven’t come particularly easily. It’s was just three shutouts in the 10 games without the 2020–21 FWA Footballer of the Year. So while Fulham did have a handful of chances, getting a clean sheet on Dias’s proper return feels like a turning point.
With no disrespect to Abdukodir Khusanov, it’s not been easy on the talented 21-year-old in 2026. He’s still raw himself, but has had to either be Nathan Aké’s legs or the senior man next to Max Alleyne. Marc Guéhi is still learning his new surroundings, too.
Man City Player Ratings vs. Fulham (4-3-3)
GK: Gianluigi Donnarumma—8.1: Three fairly straightforward saves, none of which registered more than 0.14 in xG, was his night.
RB: Matheus Nunes—7.0: Enjoyed getting forward at will and it was his cross that Fulham didn’t deal with to create the breakthrough for Semenyo. Started the move for the second, too.
CB: Rúben Dias—7.6: Played the majority of the game with the ball in front of him. Comfortable in possession and solid when he needed to be.
CB: Marc Guéhi—7.9: More minutes under his belt for his new team, now up and running alongside the player intended be his long-term partner, too.
LB: Rayan Aït-Nouri—8.1: Carried the ball really well and was an attacking outlet as much as he was a defensive force, locking down his side of the pitch.
CM: Bernardo Silva (c)—7.7: Pulled the early strings for his team in a creative sense, but worked equally hard off the ball as well.
CM: Rodri—6.6: Attempted 95 passes and completed all but eight of them.
CM: Nico O’Reilly—7.8: A 20th Premier League start of the season for the homegrown youngster and he looks completely at home in his natural position. Scored the outstanding second goal after the one-two with Semenyo and could easily have added to that tally.
RW: Antoine Semenyo—8.0: Put City ahead and then assisted the second. His performance was efficient more than anything. Didn’t see a lot of the ball in open play, but made the most of his opportunities to cause problems for Fulham.
ST: Erling Haaland—7.4: Took one for the team but still managed to play a crucial pass when he was wiped out in the buildup to the opening. Finished his own chance well. Job done, off at half-time.
LW: Phil Foden—7.9: A creative spark and registered an assist. That said, fortunate to get away with only a yellow card for a nasty challenge on Fulham’s Calvin Bassey. Withdrawn quickly after.
SUB: Omar Marmoush (46’ for Haaland)—6.6: An opportunity to score only a second Premier League goal of the season and it went begging.
SUB: Tijjani Reijnders (60’ for Silva)—6.4: Lacked the same impact as the man he replaced, although the intensity was already dropping out of the game with the result decided.
SUB: Abdukodir Khusanov (60’ for Nunes)—6.6: Played the final half hour at right back.
SUB: Nico González (71’ for Rodri)—6.3: Kept things ticking over in midfield.
SUB: Rayan Cherki (71’ for Foden)—6.3: Limited impact in the attacking third.
Subs not used: James Trafford (GK), John Stones, Max Alleyne, Rico Lewis.
What the Ratings Tell Us
- Manchester City could hardly have asked for a bigger impact from January signing Antoine Semenyo. The £64 million ($87.2 million) man is thriving in sky blue and this game delivered his fifth goal in eight appearances since joining from Bournemouth five weeks ago.
- Should Nico O’Reilly be starting for England in midfield? The 20-year-old played 180 minutes across the final two 2026 World Cup qualifiers in November at left back and appears likely to make the squad in that role. But Pep Guardiola is increasingly using him in midfield and this game showcased exactly what he’s capable of higher up the pitch and more central. England face Uruguay and Japan in friendlies next month, so maybe Thomas Tuchel should see what O’Reilly can really do
The Numbers That Explain Man City’s Comfortable Night
- For all that there wasn’t a great deal between the teams in the possession stakes, Manchester City’s 566 passes with an accuracy in excess of 90% was considerably more than Fulham (407, 85%) and allowed them to dictate the game.
- City were more efficient with their opportunities, with the Cottagers actually accruing more xG in the end (1.50 vs. 1.47). But a lower proportion of their attempts were on target.
| Statistic | Man City | Fulham |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 56% | 44% |
| Expected Goals (xG) | 1.47 | 1.50 |
| Total Shots | 13 | 14 |
| Shots on Target | 5 | 3 |
| Big Chances | 2 | 1 |
| Passing Accuracy | 91% | 85% |
| Fouls Committed | 8 | 10 |
| Corners | 4 | 4 |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Man City Player Ratings vs. Fulham: Pressure Grows on Arsenal in Premier League Title Race.
