Manchester City will be looking to make it four wins from four in the new Premier League season on Saturday when they welcome Fulham to the Etihad Stadium.
The Treble winners have already dispatched Burnley, Newcastle United and Sheffield United. However, it turned out to be a tight encounter at Bramall Lane than most predicted, with a late Rodri strike sealing a 2-1 win for Man City over Sheffield United.
With Fulham visiting the Etihad Stadium at the weekend, the Cityzens will be keen to beat Marco Silva’s side and enter September’s international break with a 100 per cent record in the division.
Manchester City Team News
Manuel Akanji missed last weekend’s win over Sheffield United due to illness but could be an option for Saturday’s home encounter against Fulham.
In the meantime, Juanma Lillo—Man City’s No.2—who will again be present on the touchline in the absence of Pep Guardiola following his recovery from back surgery, is expected to be without John Stones and Kevin De Bruyne. Stones is expected to return after the international break, while De Bruyne may not again play this year due to a serious hamstring injury.
Predicted Man City lineup vs Fulham (4-2-3-1)
Goalkeeper
Ederson is Man City’s undisputed No.1 and should start against Fulham on Saturday. He will be looking to keep a clean sheet after missing out on one at Bramall Lane.
Defence
In front of Ederson, Lillo is expected to retain the back four that started in the 2-1 win over the Blades. This means Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake and Josko Gvardiol should all start in defence in the Man City lineup.
Walker and Gvardiol will operate as full-backs in the Man City lineup, with Dias and Ake continuing in central defence. They must be alert throughout the game to keep Fulham’s tricky forwards quiet.
Midfield
Mateo Kovacic and Rodri are showing signs of building a strong partnership in the middle of the park, something Lillo will be unlikely to disrupt on Saturday. Julian Alvarez will act as the creative glue between City’s midfield and attack, as he hopes to unlock the Fulham backline.
This means Kalvin Phillips and Phil Foden will again have to be content with spots on the bench but given his cameo last week, Foden will be pushing for a start.
Attack
Erling Haaland, who had missed a first-half penalty against Sheffield United, reacted positively and put his frustration behind him to hammer home a header last weekend to make it three goals in three league games. The Norwegian is a certainty to lead City’s attack again, with Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva acting as wide playmakers in the Man City lineup.
New signing Jeremy Doku, who was an unused substitute at Bramall Lane last time out, could get some minutes off the bench against Marco Silva’s side. The young Belgian’s explosive pace and directness will be potent against the tiring Fulham defenders in the second half.