FULHAM 2, MAN CITY 2
All six of Manchester City’s league fixtures immediately after their Champions League mid week group fixtures are away games and the fatigue following their exertions against Napoli seemed to show as City failed to close out an eminently winnable game at Fulham.
Sergio Aguero scored the first of two goals after latching onto a David Silva pass to open the scoring and for much of the first half it seemed as though Fulham were fighting to keep the scoreline respectable.
Fulham’s Mark Schwarzer was instrumental to Fulham’s fighting spirit as he made crucial saves from Edin Dzeko and Gael Clichy to keep the deficit down at half time.
Seconds into the second half, however, Clichy’s long pass to Dzeko was knocked down for Aguero to make it 2-0 (his eighth of the season) and City should have pushed on to win the game decisively but City seemed to begin coasting and mistakes crept in.
Bobby Zamora made it 2-1 shortly afterwards and Fulham pushed on, rode their luck, and sealed the equaliser when Vincent Kompany deflected Danny Murphy’s hit and hope shot past a stranded Joe Hart and a sea of City defenders.
It seemed as though Edin Dzeko had been fouled during the buildup to Fulham’s equaliser but in truth City should have been out of sight well before Fulham were allowed a ticket back into the game by City’s tiring players.
“If you don’t keep your concentration for 95 minutes you could lose or draw as we did today. Today we dominated the game for 60 mins and I can’t believe we didn’t win.” said Roberto Mancini afterwards.
“I hope this will be a lesson for us. When you have a chance you should score.”
City’s slip-up opened a gap at the top of the Barclays Premier League and they can ill-afford to continue slipping up in their chase for the title.