Manchester City Seal Third Place Finish with Victory at Fulham

Manchester City confirmed their spot as the third-best team in England this season with a 2-0 victory against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday, rounding off their Premier League campaign on a positive note.

Pep Guardiola’s side, needing only a point to secure UEFA Champions League football for next season, came out firing and dominated possession from the outset. Their early control paid off in spectacular fashion when Ilkay Gundogan produced a moment of magic in the 21st minute. The former Germany international reacted quickest to a loose ball after Matheus Nunes’ effort was palmed away by Bernd Leno, meeting it with an acrobatic overhead-kick that cannoned off the crossbar and into the net.

Despite the setback, Fulham responded well and enjoyed spells of pressure before the break, with Tom Cairney, Harry Wilson, and Andreas Pereira all coming close. City’s goalkeeper Ederson had to be alert, pulling off several smart stops to preserve his side’s advantage heading into half-time.

The second half saw Fulham see more of the ball, but clear chances became harder to come by. The hosts were left to rue their missed opportunities when, in the 72nd minute, Sasa Lukic’s clumsy foul on Gundogan inside the penalty area gifted City a chance to double their lead. Erling Haaland made no mistake from the spot, calmly sending Leno the wrong way to net his 28th league goal of the season.

Fulham pushed late on and thought they might have a lifeline when VAR reviewed a potential penalty shout for handball against Ruben Dias, but the referee waved play on after determining the contact was accidental.

Ederson was called into action again deep into stoppage time, producing a stunning one-handed save to deny Sander Berge’s close-range volley and secure a clean sheet for the visitors.

The result ensured Manchester City finished third in the final Premier League standings, while Fulham wrapped up an encouraging season in 11th place.