Pep Guardiola humorously claimed his Manchester City squad "don't respect" him following a breathless and chaotic 5-4 Premier League victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage on Tuesday evening.
A Nine-Goal Spectacle on the Thames
The match on December 2, 2025, developed into an instant classic, with City surviving a dramatic late Fulham fightback to secure a vital three points. The victory closed the gap on league leaders Arsenal to just two points, though the Gunners have a game in hand against Brentford.
City appeared to be cruising at half-time, leading 3-1 after Erling Haaland, Tijjani Reijnders, and Phil Fonden found the net, cancelling out an early strike from Fulham's Emile Smith Rowe. The second half, however, descended into madness.
Foden quickly added his second and City's fourth, before a Sander Berge own goal—following a Jeremy Doku effort—seemingly put the contest to bed at 5-1. Marco Silva's Fulham side, however, staged a remarkable resurgence.
Fulham's Valiant Fightback Falls Short
Goals from Alex Iwobi and a late double from substitute Samuel Chukwueze brought the scoreline to a nerve-shredding 5-4. The home side pressed relentlessly in the dying moments, threatening to complete an improbable comeback, but City's defence held firm to secure the win.
In a playful post-match interview with Match of the Day, Guardiola quipped about the rollercoaster nature of the game. "I'm so old, and the players don't respect me!" the City manager joked. "They don't have to treat their manager in that way. It only happens in this league."
He was quick to praise his team's performance, stating: "We played a fantastic game... To come here, to score five goals, and the way we played in that first-half. In the end, it was a question of character, resilience and defence."
Haaland's Century and Silva's Pride
The match also featured a significant personal milestone for Erling Haaland, who scored his 100th Premier League goal. The Norwegian striker described the fixture as a "crazy game" in comments to Sky Sports, expressing pride at reaching the century mark while acknowledging the need for improvement.
Fulham boss Marco Silva, though defeated, was full of admiration for his team's spirit. "The reaction was unbelievable from the boys," he said. "After the fifth City goal... many things can come in the mind. From it we probably deserved the fifth goal."
Manchester City now turn their attention to a home clash with Sunderland on Saturday, December 6, as they aim to maintain pressure at the top of the Premier League table.
