Last updated & checked: 10/08/2021
Talk about a David vs Goliath contest. If you want to sum up the extent of the mountain that Fulham has to climb, consider this simple fact: they are second from last at the bottom of the Premier League and are staring down the barrel of relegation. Meanwhile, the defending champions Manchester City are once again battling it out to claim the richest prize in English football.
On top of that, Fulham have had a disastarous 2019 so far, with a single victory over Brighton to their name. In stark contrast, Manchester City are undefeated thus far this year. Although the latter shouldn’t get too cocky – complacency almost cost their archrivals Liverpool points against Fulham mere days ago.
Fulham vs Manchester City Prediction: Fulham 2-0 Man City
We don’t think anyone would claim that a Fulham victory here is the most likely outcome. It’s possible, sure, but very unlikely by our estimations. Often, the results don’t tell you the whole story, but when they are as overwhelming as this, we’re afraid there’s little doubting that Manchester City have simply been the stronger team by some margin heading into this contest. However, relegation is looming for Fulham and they managed to fight off Liverpool for a respectable lengh of time. So, we don’t think this will be a walkover. With that in mind, our Fulham vs Manchester City prediction is a 2-0 win for City.
Our recommended tip: Manchester City win to nil
It should come as no shock to anyone that the defending champions are the clear favourites here. While Manchester City are battling it out for the top spot of the Premier League standings, their opponents sit close to bottom of the table. The away side, therefore, come into this contest with a huge 84% win probability to Fulham’s 6% – with a draw being more likely than a home win at 10%. However, to increase your potential ROI, we recommend that you predict that Manchester City will win to nil to get low-risk 1/1 odds at Paddy Power.
Previous matches
The history books here may not make for happy reading for Fulham fans, with Manchester City winning nearly double the amount of games than the home team. Often when this happens, a big gulf statistically in Premier League teams is a leftover from a bygone era. Sadly for Fulham, this is a very modern problem. Manchester City have won the last seven games, all the way back to their 1-1 draw in 2011. And you have to go back even further to April 2009 to find a Fulham win. If the home team are looking for reasons to be optimistic, they need look elsewhere.
Top 3 Premier League Bookies
Players to watch: Ryan Babel & Leroy Sané
Fulham: Ryan Babel
Fulham’s top goalscorer, Aleksandar Mitrović, might be the obvious pick here – it’s generally wise to send your best gunslinger to shoot against a team with the defensive prowess of Manchester City. However, he’s been off the mark as of late. And regardless, Fulham will need to open up their attacking options to achieve greater success. Ryan Babel, who has managed to shine even among these dark times for the club, is an important part of putting that puzzle together.
Manchester City: Leroy Sané
If you want to know just how much Leroy Sané has proved his worth to Manchester City, consider that he is expected to double his salary when he signs a new contract for the team. He is unparelled in his ability to play wide. You only need to see how he tormented the defences of Schalke to know how brilliant he is on the assist. And he’s not too bad landing the killer blow himself either. A truly exceptional player.
