Manchester City walked out of Craven Cottage with a 5–4 win that says a lot more than the chaotic scoreline suggests. The real centerpiece of the match was Erling Haaland’s 100th Premier League goal, reached in just 111 games, a pace the competition had never seen. The Norwegian forward, already used to living in numbers that don’t apply to anyone else, puts Pep Guardiola’s team right back in the fight for the top and reminds Arsenal that any slip carries immediate consequences.
An open match that became the stage for another milestone
Sixteen minutes in, Haaland showed why he lives in a statistical world that hardly anyone else in the league can touch. Doku burst down the left, crossed, Reijnders let the ball run and the forward arrived hitting it first time to register the historic goal. Simple execution, huge impact. The play lifted City and threw Fulham off balance, even though the home side never let the match drift into boredom.
The night turned into an offensive showcase. City scored through Reijnders, Foden twice and a Berge own goal. Fulham answered with Smith Rowe, Iwobi and two from Chukwueze, forcing City to keep the pace high until the final whistle. It wasn’t a polished performance, but it was the kind of game where individual talent steps in when collective control slips for a few minutes.
Haaland’s season pushes City into another heavy title fight
The goal at Craven Cottage took Haaland to 15 in 14 rounds in the 2025–26 season. It’s the kind of rhythm that turns any golden boot race into basic math. He leads comfortably and returns to the level that earned him two Golden Boots before Salah edged him last season.
And when the attack clicks, the effect on the table is immediate. City moved to 28 points, stayed within reach of Arsenal and avoided giving the rival the cushion that could’ve formed if they had dropped points. The Premier League lives on thin margins, and Guardiola knows that with Haaland delivering at this rate, the team always has a way out when matches tighten.
As long as Haaland is healthy and well supplied, City stays within reach of any leader. The season still has a long way to go, and very few players can shift the temperature of a title race the way the Norwegian does.