Manchester City cut Arsenal’s lead at the top of the Premier League to just two points after hanging on to win a classic at Fulham, as Erling Haaland broke another record.
The Gunners will have the opportunity to respond against Brentford on Wednesday, but Pep Guardiola’s side showed enough – in attack, anyway – to confirm that we indeed have a title race on our hands this season.
They took a 5-1 lead at Craven Cottage, but then pulled away and eventually held on for three vital points.
Haaland became the fastest player to reach 100 Premier League goals as he put City ahead, reaching his century in his 111th appearance, breaking Alan Shearer’s long-standing mark of 124 games. The Norwegian striker is the 35th player to join the 100 club.
Haaland should have given City the lead six minutes after being played through on goal, but he hit the inside of a post when he looked certain to score.
The 25-year-old then scored the opener in the pouring London rain with a beauty for his 15th league goal of the season, meeting Jeremy Doku’s low cross from the left with a fizzing left-footed shot.
City found their feet and scored twice before the break with another fine goal. Haaland was the provider this time, rolling his man before playing in Tijjani Reijnders, who headed past Bernd Leno with a lovely chip for his first goal since his debut.
Foden, back to his best form in recent weeks, made it three points when Leno’s frail punch from a corner was collected and pushed away with his left foot.
City were purring but shut down for Emile Smith-Rowe to reduce the deficit in first-half stoppage time with a wonderful, deft header past Gigi Donnarumma from an unlikely angle.
But Foden took just three minutes in the second half to make it 4-1, firing at the near post after Haaland assisted on another low cross from Doku.
Doku was involved in everything and had a curling effort that deflected high over the hapless Leno and into the corner – a strike that was credited as a Sander Berge own goal.
It was the first time Fulham had conceded five times in a Premier League match, but they responded immediately to pull one back, Alex Iwobi hitting an excellent curling shot from the edge of the area.
Haaland headed against the post and Fulham made it 5-3 moments later when substitute Samuel Chukwueze lofted a loose ball on the half-volley.
Chukwueze then repeated the trick with another half-cleared cross in the 78th minute to fire a shot across goal to make it 5-4.
It has been 12 years since a Premier League match saw 10 goals scored and despite Fulham’s best efforts for eight extra minutes, they failed to force an equalizer.
