All About General Information PTV Sports Biss Key
Manchester City’s Manuel Akanji and Phil Foden have recovered from a gastric illness that hampered them both last week. Assistant manager Juanma Lillo says he does not know if new signing Matheus Nunes will be available. Fulham’s Calvin Bassey and Tim Ream return after suspension, while new arrival Timothy Castagne could feature. Tom Cairney will be assessed, but Willian and Sasa Lukic are not yet ready to return. A victory for Manchester City would see them tie their own record for the most consecutive wins in English football against an opponent (15), which they currently hold versus Watford. Fulham are without a win in 20 matches versus City since a 3-1 victory at the Etihad Stadium in April 2009. The Cottagers have scored only two goals in their last nine games against City at the Etihad, conceding 27. City have scored in their last 30 games against Fulham in all competitions dating back to 0-0 draw in March 2004.
Manchester City are looking to win their opening four matches to a top-flight season for the eighth time, and for the first since 2016-17. However, the only time they have gone on to win the title having done so was in the 2011-12 campaign under Roberto Mancini. City have won a club record 17 consecutive home matches in all competitions in 2023 by an aggregate score of 55-7. They have won 34 of their last 36 games at the Etihad with the two exceptions coming in back-to-back league games last season: 1-2 versus Brentford and 1-1 against Everton. Julian Alvarez has scored 13 goals in 13 home starts for City in all competitions. Erling Haaland has netted 35 goals in 27 home appearances for City in all competitions, but he’s failed to score in his last four at the Etihad.
Fulham lost all eight of their league games against the teams that finished in the top four last season, but have already drawn 2-2 at Arsenal so far in this campaign. Marco Silva’s side are unbeaten in their opening two away fixtures of a top-flight season for only the third time, after the 1964-65 and 2010-11 campaigns. They have won just three of their 28 top-flight away matches versus the reigning champions. The Cottagers are without a win in their last 30 Premier League matches against the two Manchester clubs (D5, L25), dating back to a 3-0 victory over Manchester United in 2009. This is the longest ever winless league run by a team against United and City in Football League history. A defeat would see Silva equal the Premier League record for the most matches as a manager against an opponent without winning a single point (nine), currently held by Gary Megson in games versus Liverpool.
Silva has lost against City with four different teams – Hull, Watford, Everton and Fulham.
