Manchester City vs. Fulham Preview

Manchester City will be heavy favourites to consolidate their position at the summit of the Barclays Premier League when they host struggling Fulham at the Etihad Arena for the tea-time fixture on February 4.

Roberto Mancini’s side recently saw their Carling Cup dreams dashed by Liverpool at the semi-final stage, a result which has left the Citizens now fully focused on conquering England’s top tier for the first time since 1968.

Providing that City can pull off a result against Everton at Goodison Park in the midweek match directly preceding this fixture, their three point buffer should still be restored after the visit of Fulham with Martin Jol’s men unlikely to cause much of a stir judging by their efforts so far this campaign.

The year started well for the Cottagers when they beat a deteriorating Arsenal 2-1, however subsequent defeats against Blackburn and Everton have left them on the brink of a potential relegation scrap.

That potential prospect could well draw closer should they be beaten by City, especially if they cannot secure three points at home to West Brom on February 1.

But it is Fulham’s away form which is the main cause of concern for supporters with only one win picked up so far in eleven matches on the road.

And with Manchester City looking almost untouchable at the Etihad, Fulham will need a miracle if they are to double their victory tally in this clash.

Eleven wins from eleven home games has given City a perfect record to protect heading into the final third of the season and the Premier League title will surely be there’s if they can complete the remarkable achievement of winning all of their home fixtures.

Mancini will have a plethora of attacking options at his disposal, all of which should be too much for a Fulham outfit that are low on confidence following their recent dip and exit from the F.A Cup and Europa League.

American star Clint Dempsey will be crucial to the visitors if they are to mix the game up in midfield and that will undoubtedly be where the match is won and lost – as City love to dictate the tempo of the game and control possession on the cusp of opponents’ penalty area.

There is little to suggest why City cannot keep their tremendous home record alive – they have beaten far better sides than Fulham in Manchester this season and everything looks set to be comfortable with Fulham lacking a natural goalscorer to make them a genuine threat.

Their goals often arrive courtesy of Dempsey who may well be poached by a bigger club at the end of the season if Fulham fail to show any ambition from here on in.

Although too short for the majority of punters, 1/3 actually comes across as a solid bet for City who should assume authority on proceedings from the off.

Despite their away record being far from inspiring, Fulham do not concede too many goals so it could well be a case of 1-0 and job done for Mancini.

But expect that advantage to be held early on and a City half time/full time bet at around 10/11 can end the footballing day on a high for backers who are seeking more value than the 1/3 match betting offers.

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02/02/2012     © Frixo 2024