Manchester City will be in London on Saturday to take on Fulham in Premier League action. This match comes after City got a very important midweek win, as they beat Southampton decisively, five goals to two. This was needed after their record win streak ended last Sunday at the hands of United.
The good news for the visitors is that there are no new injuries or suspensions to worry about. This will let them bring in some fresh faces to keep the squad’s energy level high. Being able to rotate in quality players is a luxury that manager Pep Guardiola has.
One player who has been out with an injury since December is defender Nathan Ake. But with the centre back getting back to training, we are getting closer to seeing a return for him. He could well be in contention for Saturday’s game.
Despite the loss last week, there is no need to worry for City. They have a very healthy lead at the top of the table over United and can be quite confident in their chances in the matches coming up. Fulham need to start winning soon if they are to get out of the relegation zone.
This will play into the hands of City who can exploit the gaps that will be left by the hosts desperately looking for a goal.
One of the positives of the midweek game against the Saints was the performance of midfielder Kevin De Bruyne. He hasn’t looked at his best since coming back from an injury, and a return to form would give his teammates a lot of confidence.
He will be looking to influence the proceedings against Fulham, by creating chances and scoring goals.
Sticking with the midfield, Ilkay Gundogan won the Premier League Player of the Month award, as you can see from the picture above.
Manchester City have enough quality in their squad to dominate the hosts, but they must not get complacent. They are facing a team that is fighting for their survival and as their win over Liverpool shows, can cause some damage.