Manchester City scraped past a resilient Fulham side at the Etihad on Saturday, with an unexpected star emerging—Croatia’s Mateo Kovacic, who netted two crucial goals. While Belgium international Jeremy Doku ultimately secured the win, Kovacic stole the spotlight with his standout performance.
After the match, Kovacic dedicated his two goals to his pregnant wife, Izabel, and admitted that Fulham had made the victory far from easy. “It means a lot because my wife is pregnant, so it was great to get some goals for the little one,” said Kovacic. “It’s nice to score, but the most important thing is the team and that we won today. We had to show great character.”
Fulham refused to go down quietly, pushing Pep Guardiola’s side to the limit in a thrilling five-goal contest. However, City had Kovacic’s brace to thank for keeping them in the game, along with several crucial saves from goalkeeper Ederson, particularly against the pacey Adama Traore.
With star midfielder Rodri sidelined for the season, Kovacic has had to step up in the center of the park. “I’m playing in the middle at the moment, and of course, we need to cover for Rodri. We miss him a lot—any team would miss a player like him,” Kovacic admitted.
Pep Guardiola acknowledged Fulham’s threat and praised his team for their resilience. “It was intense, tight, with chances for both teams. We started well and created many opportunities, but it got tougher when they switched to five at the back. Managing that was risky, but we got there in the end,” said the City boss.
Discussing how City will cope without Rodri, Guardiola mentioned a few tactical options. “We don’t have him now for the season, so we need to find a solution. We have Kova, Gundo, maybe John [Stones], Rico [Lewis], or Manu [Akanji] could step in. Of course, Rodri’s presence is vital in games like this with all the transitions, but we played really well today.”
Despite the defeat, Fulham manager Marco Silva was proud of his players’ performance but lamented their missed opportunities. “We’re really disappointed with the result—that’s how we all feel in the dressing room,” Silva said. “The players executed the plan really well, but we deserved more from this game.”
Silva highlighted Fulham’s inability to capitalize on key chances, including a few one-on-one situations with City keeper Ederson. “We had four clear chances to score, and in the last 15 minutes, we controlled the ball. Seeing City finish with five at the back gives us the courage to keep playing the way we want.”
In the end, while City managed to clinch the win, Fulham’s determination left a lasting impression on the reigning champions.
