Some nights in football, you just have to sit back and marvel at the sheer, unadulterated chaos. Tuesday, December 2nd, was one of those nights. While a few matches were on the schedule, all eyes ended up glued to a whirlwind game at Craven Cottage, where Manchester City and Fulham played out an instant classic that ended in a staggering 5-4 victory for the visitors. It was a match that had everything: a historic milestone for a superstar striker, a seemingly insurmountable lead, and a fightback that almost defied belief.
Key Highlights
- ✓ Manchester City narrowly defeated Fulham 5-4 in an unbelievable nine-goal thriller at Craven Cottage.
- ✓ Erling Haaland opened the scoring, netting his historic 100th Premier League goal in the 17th minute.
- ✓ Fulham staged a heroic comeback from 5-1 down, with Samuel Chukwueze scoring twice in six minutes.
- ✓ Barcelona extended their lead at the top of La Liga by beating Atlético Madrid 3-1, despite a missed penalty from Lewandowski.
- ✓ In a much quieter affair, Everton secured a 1-0 victory over Bournemouth thanks to a 78th-minute goal from Jack Grealish.
A City Onslaught at the Cottage
From the moment the match kicked off, you got the sense City meant business. They were looking to close the gap on league leaders Arsenal, and they played like it. We should also mention It all started with the man himself, Erling Haaland. Just 17 minutes into the game, he found the back of the net, notching his 100th Premier League goal. As he put it himself, "When you are a striker for City, you should be delivering great numbers. That is my job. "
That goal opened the floodgates. Tijjani Reijnders made it 2-0 in the 37th minute, and just before the break, Phil Foden added a third in the 44th minute. At halftime, with the score sitting at 3-1 after Emile Smith Rowe grabbed a late consolation goal for Fulham, it looked like a comfortable, professional away win for City. But the second half was anything but comfortable.
The Game That Looked Dead and Buried
When the teams came back out, City picked up right where they left off. Foden grabbed his second of the night just three minutes after the restart, making it 4-1. Then, in the 54th minute, Jérémy Doku cut in from the left and found the top corner (with a little help from a deflection) to make it 5-1. The game was over. Done and dusted. Or so we all thought.
Fulham's Heroic (and Almost Successful) Fightback
Just when everyone was ready to switch channels, Fulham woke up. It started in the 57th minute when Alex Iwobi found space on the edge of the box and curled a lovely finish into the bottom corner to make it 2-5. It felt like a nice goal, but nothing more than another consolation. We were wrong. The real drama was just getting started.
The game completely turned on its head thanks to one man: Samuel Chukwueze. In the 72nd minute, he was in the right place to smash home a shot inside the area. After a very, very long VAR check for offside, the goal stood. It was 3-5, and suddenly, there was a glimmer of hope for the home side. Just six minutes later, Chukwueze did it again, pouncing on a punched clearance from goalkeeper Donnarumma to make it 4-5. The Cottage was absolutely rocking.
Heartbreak at the Death
The final minutes were pure, unadulterated panic for Manchester City. Their defending was described as "utterly awful" and "pathetic," and it showed. With eight minutes of added time, Fulham threw everything they had at them. They came agonizingly close in the 99th minute when a corner caused chaos in the City box. The ball fell to substitute Josh King, whose shot beat the keeper but was heroically cleared off the line by Joško Gvardiol. That was it. The final whistle blew on a truly "silly game of football," as the commentators put it. What's particularly interesting is
Action Elsewhere: Barça and the Toffees
While the Premier League was serving up a classic, there was a massive clash in La Liga as well. What's particularly interesting is Barcelona hosted Atlético Madrid in a crucial top-of-the-table match. Atlético struck first through Álex Baena in the 19th minute, but Barça responded quickly with a goal from Raphinha just seven minutes later. It's worth noting that The home side even had a chance to take the lead from the penalty spot, but Robert Lewandowski shockingly missed, whacking the ball well over the bar.
Fortunately for them, Dani Olmo found the net in the 65th minute to put them ahead. One key aspect to consider is The game was sealed deep into stoppage time when Ferran Torres added a third, giving Barcelona a 3-1 victory and extending their lead at the top of the table to a solid four points. It was a professional performance that stood in stark contrast to the beautiful mess at Craven Cottage.
A Quieter Night on the South Coast
And for those who needed to calm their nerves, the match between Bournemouth and Everton provided the perfect antidote. It was a tight, cagey affair that remained goalless for much of the evening. Another important factor is The deadlock was finally broken in the 78th minute when Jack Grealish cashed in on a stroke of fortune to score for Everton. That single goal was enough to give the Toffees a crucial 1-0 away win, a result they worked hard to protect as they killed time in the final minutes.
Conclusion
What a night. The main takeaway is undoubtedly the absolute spectacle between Fulham and Manchester City—a game that will be talked about for a long time. It was a match that celebrated Erling Haaland's incredible goal-scoring record but also exposed the defensive vulnerabilities of Pep Guardiola's team in spectacular fashion. Alongside this epic, Barcelona's commanding win over a major rival and Everton's gritty victory provided a full, fascinating slate of European football. It’s nights like these that remind us why we love this sport.
