And that’s all from me. It was over before it began, really – once Fulham went down to men it was a matter of how many Manchester City would score. In the end, the answer was four. Fulham did well to restrict them to that scoreline, but were also responsible for making errors that led to the goals. So Manchester City march onwards, into the fifth round, still battling for glory in the FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Champions League this season. Thank you for reading / emailing in, and see you next time. Bye for now.
Richards on Fulham’s errors: “Sometimes you’ve just got to kick the ball long, squeeze up, and get the second balls. ”
You can tell he left City before Guardiola turned up, can’t you? You won’t find ’kicking it long and getting second balls’ in the Book of Pep.
He’s right about Fulham though, of course. They over-complicated life for themselves today by trying to play out from the back too often. That led, directly, to two of the goals. Those are not the kind of mistakes you can afford to be making when you play at Manchester City
Scott Parker shakes hands with Pep Guardiola after City win 4-0. Photograph: Phil Noble / Reuters
Updated (at 9.) am EST
(9.) (am EST 28: 71
min: This does look good Cancelo who has gone down under a stoppage-time challenge from Fulham’s Bryan. The City players immediately call for medical treatment. Cancelo looks in a lot of pain – on replay it seems Bryan accidentally raked a stud down the back of Cancelo’s heel. Bryan is booked. However, Cancelo is now sitting up and is looking OK.
Updated (at 9.) am EST
:
min: Foden strikes a free-kick which hits the wall. The crowd has gone remarkably quiet. We are nearly into stoppage time.
min: Cancelo feints to shoot right-footed, cuts on to his left, and hits a low shot harmlessly wide from the edge of the box. City’s attentions can turn to their midweek date with Manchester United now … The fans will go home happy – although maybe even a touch disappointed that the early sending-off effectively ended the contest.
Updated (at 9.) am EST
(9.) (am EST) :
min: Sterling runs on to a ball into the right-hand channel. Fulham
min: Five minutes to go and City still search for more. Foden darts centrally, but loses control and the ball balloons to Rodak in the Fulham goal.
(9.) (am) (EST) :
(min: Kongolo off for (Fulham ), Sylvester Jasper comes on for his debut.
9. am EST
:
min: Parker is pictured on the touchline, his hands plunged into his pockets. He will be annoyed – Fulham errors have led directly to three of these four goals, counting Ream’s sending-off offence. It was mission impossible, but his players managed to make a whole lot more impossibler.
Updated (at 9.) (am EST)
min: City stream forward again. The floodgates are yawning open, and the visitors – no doubt tiring after playing the vast majority of this match with men – are starting to struggle. More than (minutes for Manchester City to extend their lead.
are the architects of their own downfall again, coughing up possession in their own penalty area of all places. Rodak makes a good save from an initial shot from close range – but Jesus follows up and nods in the fourth.
Jesus nods in the rebound for number four. Photograph: Alex Livesey / Getty Images
min: Cancelo tries to power past Bryan and get to the byline, on the right, but again it’s some very strong defending from Fulham. It’s a goal-kick.
(9.) (AM) (EST) : 48
min: Fulham string together an impressive series of passes – in their own half – and the traveling support give it a few “ (Olés ”.)
A lot of teams would have been five or six down by now. The Fulham fans, while not exactly thrilled to be 2-0 down, will be appreciating the current work of their (men.)
min: Sterling plays in Foden on City’s right. Bryan challenges in the penalty area, Foden falls over, City want a penalty, but the referee says no. There is a VAR check, and they say no too.
min: David Silva embarks on another mazy run into the heart of the (Fulham) defense. He has been excellent so far today. He’s relished having a bit of extra space and time in which to operate.
min: David Silva again is the creator, pinging a first-time ball which sends Jesus through one-on-one. Despite being behind Jesus, Kongolo dives in with a brilliant last-ditch tackle, stealing the ball off the end of Jesus’s toe, just as the striker’s eyes were lighting up. Absolutely superb defending.
min: Here’s City’s second goal thanks to BBC Sport’s Twitter: Match of the Day (@ BBCMOTD) (January) ,
On the touchline, Man City boss Pep Guardiola is animated. He doesn’t look happy with the way Fulham are containing his team. It looks like he is asking for more from his attacking players.
Updated (at 9.) am EST
(9.) am EST
:
(min:) Manchester City continue to stroke the ball around pretty much at their leisure, but again, Fulham refuse to roll over. A cross is curled in for Jesus but Fulham manage to deal with it. Parker has sent his team out with a fresh determination. If they were to keep this to 2-0 or 3-0, that in itself would be a pretty remarkable effort.
(9.) am EST :
min : Raheem Sterling is readying himself to come on. And here he comes. Mahrez goes off. On commentary, Murphy speculates that Mahrez may be feeling the effects of that heavy challenge by Joe Bryan.
Meanwhile, Fulham have started this half impressively, even if they are still under a lot of pressure. They’ve kept their defensive shape, and have passed the ball well considering the circumstances.
Updated (at 9.) am EST
(9.) am EST
min: City build slowly from the back. Space opens up for Jesus, who slides a pass to Mahrez, but Fulham deal with it well. It’s worked back to Cancelo, who shoots, and the hosts have a corner.
min: David Wall emails: “Glad to see more of Micah Richards on pundit duty on the BBC for today’s match. He’s becoming a regular across their radio coverage in particular and I think has been one of the most enjoyable to listen to. Unlike some others he always seems able to keep his own achievements and ability in perspective, and to maintain a sense of humor about it all. ”
(9.) (am) (EST)
27:
min: Lovely pass-and-move stuff from City down the left. It goes through Foden, Angelino and David Silva who ping the ball around at pace. Silva squares it, Mahrez shoots! But it’s over the bar.
() Silva sends in a cross. Photograph: Matt McNulty / Manchester City FC via Getty Images
Updated (at 9.) am EST
9 . (am EST) :
Second-half kick-off !
Let’s go! Manchester City get the ball rolling. No changes for either side.
Both pundits saying Ream should have trusted his goalkeeper to come and collect that ball when Jesus appeared to be in. Maybe so. It all came from a classy dummy by David Silva. That made it a difficult decision for Ream, who was perhaps a bit unsettled by that earlier error. He got the decision wrong. The recriminations, if that is the right word, will no doubt be ongoing in the Fulham changing room right now.
(8) am EST :
Half-time: Man City 2-0 Fulham
It was a terrible start for Tim Ream in the Fulham defense, when he gave the ball away in the first minute in his own penalty area. Somehow, it got worse, when he conceded a penalty for a pull on Gabriel Jesus and was sent off inside eight minutes. Gundogan stroked in the penalty and Bernardo Silva made it two. It’s game over, isn’t it? We’ll see if Fulham can make any inroads in the second half but I don’t fancy their chances.
Scott Parker contemplates another tough half for his side. Photograph: Phil Noble / Reuters
Updated (at 9.) am EST
(8. (am EST
:
min: We will have a solitary minute of added time. Man City stream forward. Angelino fires a low cross towards Jesus. Fulham clear for a corner, which Sessegnon clears, and that’s half-time.
Updated (at 8.) am EST
(am EST :
min: Fulham are in City’s half! Johansen pumps a long free-kick into the City box, where Hector tries to take it down, but he’s crowded out by defenders.
There’s a lingering shot of a young fan eating some crisps. Not an awful lot happening on the pitch just at the moment. Which is good news for Fulham
, really.
Updated (at 8.) am EST
(8. am EST :
min: Man City attack, again. A cross is floated over from the City left. Johansen stops it, with his chest / shoulder, and the City fans appeal en masse for a penalty.
(8. (am EST)
:
min: Matthew Dony emails: “In my younger days, when I spent more time than I’d care to remember playing pool in grotty pubs, there were few things more arrogant and mischievous (and, in all honesty, satisfying) than patronisingly offering to swap colors when you were comfortably ahead. Maybe City should offer to reverse the scoreline at half-time? ”
I used to enjoy the one where your opponent was on the black, and you put your cue back in the rack before they’d taken the shot, as if to say – “Game over.” This often seemed to have the desired effect of distracting them, and affording you another shot at glory.
I am not sure what the footballing equivalent is for Fulham , though.
Updated (at 8.) (am EST
(8.) (am EST) :
min:
Now Joe Bryan fouls Mahrez. Mahrez looks hurt – he was shifting on to his left, and sprinting over the halfway line, and was upended by Bryan’s outstretched leg. Substitute Raheem Sterling goes for a little run on the touchline. But Mahrez is OK.
They just replayed the penalty / sending off incident from a different angle. It was a cute dummy by David Silva that saw the ball slide through to Jesus, just before Ream pulled him back.
(min: Johansen fouls David Silva, who I can tell you (even without referencing the official stats) is the most-fouled player in this match so far. The free-kick is belted over the bar by Mahrez.
8. am EST :
min: Fulham defend a corner well and then hack the ball upfield, into space, to nobody, just to relieve the pressure for a few precious seconds.
Brian Withington emails:
“Afternoon Luke. City looking a bit like a cat playing with a trapped mouse (missing a limb)? ”
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