Man City 5 Fulham 1: Erling Haaland hat-trick secures win as reigning champs maintain 100% start in controversial game
AN Erling Haaland hat-trick, a routine romp for the champions and a record 18th Etihad win on the bounce.
Yet still an afternoon which had 50-odd thousand jaws dropping in surprise and amazement as the champions made it a perfect four from four start.
First in the decision which meant Nathan Ake’s header bang on half-time, which restored Manchester City’s lead, was allowed to stand.
And then with the fact Marco Silva, yellow carded in Fulham’s three previous Premier League games, managed to avoid another off blunder ref Michael Oliver.
Quite how a gaffer with a decent early season claim to be the Prem’s gobbiest boss, kept his trap shut here was as incredible as the official’s decision to award the goal.
So bad was the decision that even though Haaland finished the afternoon with yet another match ball – his seventh as a City player – he was sharing centre stage with ref Oliver.
More of the Norwegian later. Yet first that horrendous cock-up by Oliver, able assisted by linesman Stuart Burt and VAR official Tony Harrington.
It was 1-1 – and Fulham were reasonable value for that, too, let’s make clear – as we entered the last of four additional first-half minutes.
Ake’s header from Phil Foden’s corner carried plenty of accuracy and no little power, as it sneaked into the corner of Bernd Leno’s net.
Yet no more than two yards in front of Leno, a gyrating and jumping Manuel Akanji had somehow bunny-hopped out of the way of the ball.
True, he did enough to avoid contact, but he was bang in front of the Fulham keeper, who obviously couldn’t commit to a dive until the ball was passed City’s centre-back.
It was as clear as day to everyone in the Etihad. Or at least it should have been.
Referee OIiver, though, amazingly saw no problem – probably because linesman Burt failed to raise a flag – and neither saw fit to amend the decision after a touchline discussion.
Nor did Harrington, watching from his Stockley Park bunker, who agreed with the match official. Unlike anyone with a Fulham connection.
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On the pitch Andreas Pereira led the protests, imploring Oliver to look up and watch it again on the big screen. At one stage they even looked like they would refuse to kick off.
On the sideline, assistant boss Luis Boa Morte kept rolling a second ball onto the pitch to delay the restart even further.
So fair play to Silva, no less outraged and amazed, but this time at least keeping his tongue in check to duck another refereeing run-in.
Although in the land of small mercies, that was as tiny a crumb of comfort as the Fulham chief got.
And in the end City can rightfully point to a four-goal winning margin, which suggests little more than a routine stroll in the park. Which, of course, it ultimately became.
For even if they had gone in level at the break, it would still have taken a superhuman effort by Fulham. After all, City had won the last 14 meetings.
But avoiding defeat against the treble winners on their own patch is hard enough at the best of times.
So a huge helping hand off the officials makes mission improbable into mission impossible. And so it proved for Fulham.
Largely because of that man Haaland, now already up to six. And to think that one goal in his final seven games of last season actually had some starting to question his firepower.
His first came just before the hour when Rodri fed Julian Alvarez and his flick evaded a stumbling, bumbling Tim Ream. Haaland was never going to miss from bang in front of the net.
Eight minutes later referee Oliver found himself at centre stage once again, but guess what? This time he got it right!
Mind you, as far as penalty decisions go, it was as clear cut as they come, Issa Diop bundling Alvarez to the ground from behind as he bore down on goal.
Up stepped Haaland, ball to the left, keeper to the right, and City with breathing space.
Still time, though, for the Striking Viking to hit the treble…thanks to a magnificent weaving and winding run from substitute Sergio Gomez.
When he pulled the ball back from the byline, Haaland provided the finish it deserved, smashing it past Leno for the fifth.
City in full stride, then, and 12 points on the board already. Although the only time they have won the title after a start like this was 2011-12, and the Agueroooo campaign.
We may only be a couple of days into September, but somehow you can’t see this one being quite as close…although with refereeing decisions like this, you never know.
See how the action unfolded below...