Manchester City nearly Blow It vs Fulham! Foden & Haaland Heroics in 5–4 Win – Player Ratings! | OneFootball

This was not a football match. This was a full-blown Premier League carnival of chaos—a game where defensive structure took the night off, goalkeepers aged a decade, and Manchester City once again flirted with self-destruction before Phil Foden, Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Josko Gvardiol (quite literally) dragged them over the line in the end.

City looked set for a routine stroll after going 3-0 up, then 5-2 up, then… somehow ended up clinging on for dear life as Fulham’s substitutes ripped into a suddenly terrified back line. Pep Guardiola’s side took all three points, yes – but only after nearly staging another collapse worthy of a Greek tragedy. Fulham, meanwhile, showed spirit, invention, and a healthy disdain for the idea of giving up.

A nine-goal thriller, three late scares, and one massive sigh of relief later… Here are your player ratings.

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PLAYER RATINGS – FULHAM

Bernd Leno – 3/10

A horror showing. Punches that went nowhere, parries that invited punishment, and positioning that made his defenders nervous. A day to forget.

Kenny Tete – 5/10

Worked hard but was overwhelmed by Foden and Doku drifting into his zone. Not disastrous, but not influential either.

Joachim Andersen – 5/10

Defended like a man putting out fires with a watering can. Not entirely his fault, given the chaos around him, but still not at his commanding best.

Ryan Sessegnon – 4/10

Overrun, overmatched, and offering too little at either end. A difficult afternoon.

Sasa Lukic – 5/10

Busy, committed, but not always tidy. Struggled to keep pace with City’s midfield rotations.

Sander Berge – 5.5/10

Scored an unfortunate own goal but contributed well in the buildup. A performance swinging between good and unlucky.

Harry Wilson – 6/10

Energetic and creative in flashes, though never able to fully influence the game. A decent showing.

Emile Smith Rowe – 8/10

A standout. Brave diving header to start Fulham’s comeback and constantly found pockets of space City couldn’t handle. One of his best performances yet in a Fulham shirt.

Alex Iwobi – 8/10

A wonderfully composed finish and consistently dangerous breaking forward. Fulham’s emotional engine in their comeback push.

Raúl Jimenez – 5/10

Worked and pressed but lacked any real presence in the box. Didn’t influence the game as much as Fulham needed.

SUBSTITUTES

Timothy Castagne – 6/10

Brought balance and solidity late on.

Samuel Chukwueze – 8.5/10

Two goals off the bench. Electric, fearless, and nearly the architect of one of the Premier League’s shock results. Superb.

Josh King – 6/10

Added mobility and aggression.

Jonah Kusi-Asare – 5.5/10

Raw, enthusiastic, but a bit wild.

Kevin – 6.5/10

Helped stabilise the midfield during the final push.

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PLAYER RATINGS – MANCHESTER CITY

Gianluigi Donnarumma – 4.5/10

A keeper capable of looking like a world-class giant one minute and a man trying to catch butterflies the next. Made strong saves but flapped disastrously for Fulham’s fourth. Four goals conceded tell the story. City fans will need aspirin.

Matheus Nunes – 4.5/10

Switched off for Fulham’s first goal and generally defended as if the concept shocked him. Excellent in City’s buildup, but powerless once Fulham applied pressure. A right-back he is not—and today proved it.

Rúben Dias – 5/10

Played Fulham onside for their third goal and looked uncharacteristically rattled. A general usually commands the troops—today, he misplaced the map and dropped the compass.

Josko Gvardiol—5.5/10

Moments of strong defending followed by long spells of “Why are you standing there?” energy. Should’ve killed the game with a chance in the opposite box. Looked casual while City were screaming for urgency.

Nico O’Reilly – 5/10

Excellent pushing forward, questionable remembering he was also meant to defend. Left gaping holes in transition and went missing several times in the second half. A talent—but today he played like a winger trapped in a full-back’s job.

Bernardo Silva – 6/10

Neat early on, invisible late on. Lost Chukwueze for Fulham’s third and seemed to drift mentally as City’s control evaporated. A game that passed him by—and Dias let him know it.

Nico González—6.5/10

When he went off, City fell apart. That says everything. Not perfect—but vital in shielding the back line. Without him, chaos rushed in.

Tijjani Reijnders – 6/10

Scored a well-taken goal and played with attacking intent. But like many in blue today, he ran out of steam at the exact moment Fulham found theirs.

Phil Foden – 8.5/10

What more can be said? Foden is the spark, the heartbeat, the “please fix this mess” man. Scored twice with real authority and demanded possession when City looked scared of it. The team’s biggest grown-up performance.

Erling Haaland – 8/10

One hundred Premier League goals—achieved in record time. Also registered two assists, one intentional, one accidental—but he’ll take it. Should’ve scored before he did, but bullied Fulham’s defence all match. A titanic performance, even if not flawless.

Jeremy Doku – 7/10

Callback to his early-season form. Electric, direct, and responsible for two goals. Faded a bit before coming off, but by then his damage was done. Fulham will have nightmares.

SUBSTITUTES

John Stones – 3/10

City’s control fell apart the moment he entered midfield. Not entirely his fault – but the timing wasn’t kind.

Savinho – 3/10

A late vital tackle, followed by a dribble straight into trouble. A cameo of mixed emotions.

Rayan Cherki – 5/10

Flashes of brilliance, and then got booked for kicking the ball in frustration. That’s about it.

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MAN OF THE MATCH: PHIL FODEN

Two goals in a nine-goal thriller, but more importantly, calm in the chaos. Foden took responsibility when City were panicking, stitched the attacks together, and produced moments of brilliance when the champions were in real danger of falling apart. On a day when City’s defence wobbled like jelly, Foden played like granite.

: Manchester City nearly Blow It vs Fulham! Foden & Haaland Heroics in 5–4 Win – Player Ratings!

City remain two points behind Arsenal and keep the pressure on the league leaders – but defensively, this was another bright-red alarm. Conceding four to Fulham days after nearly blowing another match shows a team brilliant going forward but brittle at the back.

Fulham, meanwhile, proved they can hang with anyone when their attack clicks.

For City? Three points gained. Confidence… not so much.