Manchester City vs Fulham Predictions

• City have conceded in five of their six Premier League games this season
• Fulham have scored in each of their last seven matches in all competitions
• The champions have won 16 straight meetings with Fulham

City under the microscope

No one really expected City to struggle in their visit to Slovan Bratislava in midweek and their 4-0 win has them back on course for a top-eight finish in the new-look Champions League. However, Saturday’s home clash with Fulham is a potentially trickier task despite the Citizens being 1/4 favourites.

City meet a Fulham side who are unbeaten in their last five league games, although the Cottagers do have an appalling record in clashes between the two. Despite that, Marco Silva’s side could make a Rodri-less City uncomfortable this weekend.

Defensive concerns for City

Manchester City have managed just one clean sheet from their first six Premier League games this term. Rodri’s absence is a concern when it comes to their defensive prospects, even if he did miss their sole shut-out at Stamford Bridge.

However, City recorded a lower Expected Goals tally in than Chelsea in that win and the last couple of weeks suggest they caught the Blues at the right time.

In recent weeks, City have seen Brentford, Arsenal and Newcastle create openings against them and a confident Fulham side should do the same. The Cottagers have scored in each of their last seven games in all competitions, while they’re unbeaten in each of their last five Premier League games. Given that City’s last five league outings have seen both teams find the net, back Marco Silva to find a way to exploit City’s issues at the back.

Gundogan to extend Cottagers’ dire run

Ilkay Gundogan looks to have settled back in at City following his return to the club this summer. He grabbed the first goal of his second spell in the midweek Champions League win after a few weeks of upping his attacking impact. The German has had two or more shots in each of City’s last five games and while Rodri’s injury is a setback, Gundogan will likely take up that role of pushing forward from deep.

The German showed his eye for goal during City’s treble-winning campaign and his impact going forward suggests he will cause problems for Fulham this weekend. While the Cottagers should be able to get a goal, the fact that they’ve lost the previous 16 meetings between these sides suggests that is all they’ll get. Having scored exactly once in four of the last five meetings between the pair – and in their last three visits to the Etihad – back Fulham to suffer a 2-1 defeat, with Gundogan on the scoresheet.