Manchester City are hoping to pile the pressure on league leaders Arsenal as they take on Fulham in the Premier League this week.
City come into it on the back of a dramatic late win at Anfield, where Bernardo Silva and an Erling Haaland stoppage‑time penalty turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 victory and completed a league double over Liverpool for the first time in 89 years. They remain unbeaten in the league in 2026 and, across the current campaign, have one of the best non‑penalty xG differences in the division.
Fulham arrive in solid but unspectacular shape, with their season numbers pinning them as a mid‑table outfit by most metrics, with 100% of their league games featuring at least one goal, 76% going over 1.5 and 56% finishing over 2.5, for an average of roughly 2.9 total goals per match, basically bang on the Premier League norm this season. They have been involved in one of the campaign’s wildest games already against City: a 5-4 defeat at Craven Cottage just over two months ago in which their attacking prowess and defensive vulnerability were both on full show.
City’s season xG data remains strong, with Pep Guardiola's men averaging 1.68xG per game overall, rising to 1.90 at home, with xG against of just 1.14 and only 0.97 at the Etihad, underlining how rarely opponents generate sustained high‑quality chances on their turf.
From a BTTS angle, four of City's last six games have seen both sides find the back of the net, a higher rate than they displayed earlier in the campaign. Similarly, over 2.5 goal have been scored in four of their last six outings, foreshadowing a potentially entertaining encounter on Wednesday night.
Fulham’s numbers are those of a side who will try to play their football regardless of opponent. Overall, 100% of their Premier League games have seen over 0.5 goals, 76% over 1.5 and 56% over 2.5; away from home, 83% exceed 1.5 and 50% pass 2.5, with over 3.5 landing in a third of their away matches. That gives them a clear “open game” identity, albeit without the elite finishing or defensive structure to consistently beat the very best.
Fulham being a high-event side without elite quality mostly explains how they found themselves 1-5 down at Craven Cottage against Manchester City in the reverse fixture, while equally, their expansive and brave nature partly contributed to their valiantly attempted comeback. Marco Silva's side have lost three of their last four games, with over 2.5 goals being scored in six of their last seven, so all signs point towards a goal-filled defeat for the Cottagers here.
Manchester City 3-1 Fulham
