Manchester City Beat Fulham 3-0 To Put Arsenal Under Pressure

Manchester City narrowed Arsenal's advantage in the Premier League title race to three points after a controlled 3-0 home victory over Fulham at the Etihad Stadium. Pep Guardiola's side moved closer to the leaders ahead of Arsenal's meeting with Brentford on Thursday, keeping the pressure high while also extending a long winning sequence against Fulham in the competition.

City's success also maintained a dominant historical run, as this became their 17th consecutive Premier League win over Fulham, the longest winning streak by one team against another in English league football. The result came three days after City came from behind to defeat Liverpool at Anfield, underlining consistent league form during a demanding period.

The match swung decisively

before half-time, with all three goals arriving in the opening 39 minutes. Erling Haaland struck the third with a precise drive from the edge of the penalty area, giving City clear control. That effort was Haaland's first Premier League goal from open play since 20 December, breaking a scoreless sequence that had drawn growing attention.

The scoring, however, began earlier through Antoine Semenyo after sustained early pressure from the hosts. In the 24th minute, Matheus Nunes delivered a cross that struck Sander Berge, wrong-footing Fulham's defence, and the ball fell kindly for Semenyo, who stretched to convert from close range. City had controlled possession from kick-off and finally turned territory into a deserved lead.

Semenyo then created the second goal just six minutes later, highlighting an all-round display. After Gianluigi Donnarumma had denied Harry Wilson at one end, City broke quickly. Semenyo slid a pass into Nico O'Reilly, who finished the counter-attack only 51 seconds after that Fulham chance, leaving the visitors struggling to keep shape against City's transitions.

Haaland's goal in the 39th minute effectively ended the contest, and Guardiola substituted Haaland at the interval to manage minutes. Replacement forward Omar Marmoush forced a save from Bernd Leno as City probed for a fourth. The pace dropped noticeably after the break, with City largely protecting the advantage rather than committing numbers forward.

Fulham still created some second-half efforts, testing Gianluigi Donnarumma through Emile Smith Rowe, Rodrigo Muniz and Josh King, yet City maintained a clean sheet with relative comfort. The hosts attempted only one shot after half-time, showing how the game state shaped their approach. Fulham's increased pressure did not translate into a route back into the contest.

Data Debrief: Haaland ends open-play drought as Semenyo's hot start continues. Overall, City produced 1.47 expected goals from 13 attempts, while Fulham generated 1.5 xG from 14 shots. The visitors' threat grew after the interval, with 0.81 xG arriving in the second half. The underlying numbers suggested a more balanced contest than the scoreline, but City were more clinical.

Haaland's strike ended a difficult spell in front of goal, as it was the first non-penalty goal in the league since a brace against West Ham on 20 December. During the intervening period, Haaland attempted 24 non-penalty shots without scoring, the longest such sequence for the forward since joining City, before finally finding accuracy again from distance.

Erling Haaland's goal for Man City tonight was just his seventh (out of 107) that he's scored from outside the box in his Premier League career. pic.twitter.com/OSdD4CgHImOpta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) February 11, 2026

Across this Premier League season, Haaland and Semenyo rank among the competition's three most productive players in terms of direct goal contributions. Semenyo's display continued an impressive personal record against Fulham. The former Bournemouth player now has seven goal involvements against Fulham in the top flight, with four goals and three assists recorded.

Since the beginning of the 2024-25 campaign, only Haaland has more goal involvements against a single opponent, registering eight against West Ham. Semenyo's seven against Fulham place the forward second on that list. City's 3-0 success, their seventeenth straight league win over Fulham, tightened the title race and reinforced their strong position behind Arsenal.