Soccer-Haaland makes history as Man City hold off charging Fulham in wild 5-4 victory

MANCHESTER, England, – Manchester City’s Erling Haaland became the fastest player to reach 100 Premier League goals to ignite their charge on Tuesday and then Pep Guardiola’s men held off a furious comeback effort from Fulham in a wild 5-4 win.

Phil Foden bagged a double, Tijjani Reijnders also struck and Sander Berge scored an own goal to keep City firmly in the title hunt in second place with 28 points. Leaders Arsenal, who have 30 points, host Brentford on Wednesday.

City looked to be heading for a rout at Craven Cottage with a gaping 5-1 lead but Fulham roared back with three second-half goals a brace from Samuel Chukwueze and one from Alex Iwobi for a thrilling finish.

Haaland struck with a blistering left-footed shot in the 17th minute, Reijnders doubled City’s lead in the 37th, and Foden struck his first in the 44th minute with a beautiful shot from outside the box into the top-left corner.

Fulham’s Emile Smith Rowe pulled one back with a diving header seconds before halftime, but Foden completed his double in the 48th minute from the top of the six-yard box and Berge’s own goal padded City’s lead six minutes later.

But Fulham were not done as Iwobi struck in the 57th minute, and Chukwueze scored in the 72nd and 78th, thanks to some lacklustre City defending. Josko Gvardiol cleared a Fulham shot off the goal line deep in injury time as City’s fans breathed a sigh of relief.

Craven Cottage England Fulham Manchester City

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