Pep Guardiola described Manchester City’s chaotic 5-4 victory over Fulham on Tuesday, 2 December, as a “question of survival”, while joking in a post-match interview that the frantic contest made him “lose his hair”.

City appeared to be cruising confidently at Craven Cottage in London, England, having reached a comfortable 5-1 lead before going into the second half.

The dominant performance included Erling Haaland shattering a record by scoring his 100th English Premier League (EPL) goal in just 111 appearances, with strikes also coming from Tijjani Reijnders, twice from Phil Foden, and an own goal from Fulham’s Sander Berge.

However, a stunning collapse ensued. After Alex Iwobi pulled one back for the hosts, substitute Samuel Chukwueze scored twice in six minutes, setting up a white-knuckle 5-4 finale. A last-gasp clearance off the line from Josko Gvardiol nearly allowed Fulham to complete an improbable comeback.

Guardiola admitted afterwards that his side imploded, but was grateful for the victory, saying: “Don’t tell me how, the players don’t know either. At the end, we take it.”

The dramatic result, which was the first time since 1957 City had won a league match while conceding four goals, leaves them just two points behind EPL table leaders Arsenal, who currently have 30 points. However, highlights show lingering defensive frailties as they chase the title.

Image Credit: Source