In these early Rodri-less days Manchester City lack the stranglehold the peerless No 6 offers, so Pep Guardiola, as promised, is finding solutions. This time there was a two-goal show from Mateo Kovacic, who, operating in the Spaniard’s berth, equalled his goal tally of last season with an equaliser then City’s second. But the champions are far more open, as Andreas Pereira’s opener and Rodrigo Muniz’s 88th-minute finish for Fulham illustrated, along with other passages, as during the second half when their keep-ball ended with Josko Gvardiol flinging himself to the ground to block Raúl Jiménez’s effort from near the penalty spot.
Muniz’s goal, too, came as City were played through. Emile Smith Rowe passed right to Reiss Nelson, who relayed the ball to the Brazilian and he made no mistake. And while Jérémy Doku’s canny shoulder-dip and move inside to his right to allow a thumping right-foot finish proved decisive, the measure of City’s discomfort was found in the contest ending with them in quasi-holding-on mode, plus Ederson going into the book for slow play and his manager following for his subsequent sarcastic applause.
The early menu consisted of a cornucopia of City chances. Ilkay Gündogan slipped Erling Haaland in, but Bernd Leno saved the shot. Gündogan ran through but his attempted steer with his left boot went wide.
Haaland did the same — missing to the right. Rico Lewis was upended by Sasa Lukic, Bernardo Silva was City’s draught-e.