The opening ten minutes of this encounter were quite tentative in nature, the Whites started with Bobby Zamora leading the line, supported by Duff, Dembele and Dempsey just behind the front line. The line-up enabled the Whites to pose enough of a threat to deter City from embarking on an all-out attacking style of play in the early stages. However City soon found a way through.

At the back for Fulham, Martin Jol continued with the central defensive partnership of Chris Baird and Brede Hangeland – with Stephen Kelly and John Arne Riise flanking the pair.

The visitors took the lead in the 18th minute after David Silva found space to turn on the edge of the Fulham area and play a cute pass into the path of Sergio Aguero, who applied a simple finish past Mark Schwarzer from seven yards.

A vital intervention from Schwarzer on 24 minutes denied Edin Dzeko an almost certain goal scoring opportunity, tipping Samir Nasri’s teasing cross away from the forehead of the striker. The Australian ‘keeper then produced a stunning reaction save moments later, thrusting up a palm and diverting a fierce shot from Dzeko over the bar.

The goal handed City the cushion they needed to break into their rhythm as they proceeded to dominate possession for long periods of the first-half. Fulham managed to regain their footing in game late in the half but, their best move, on 39 minutes, was cut abruptly short when Steve Sidwell was brought to ground some 25 yards from goal. 

City dashed any hopes Fulham may have had of getting immediately back into the game, scoring their second of the match just 12 seconds into the second-half. Edin Dzeko beat Brede Hangeland in the air to a diagonal ball and nodded down to Sergio Aguero, who drilled an unstoppable shot past Schwarzer from the edge of the area.

Fulham reduced the deficit to just one on 55 minutes and in the process reignited the match. Mousa Dembele showed impressive footwork to turn and find Bobby Zamora, who had taken up a good position in the penalty area. Zamora needed little time to curl an exquisite finish past Joe Hart.

An incredible last-ditch tackle from Micah Richards, who battled well to close down Clint Dempsey, denied the Whites a good equalising chance. The goal had certainly changed the momentum of the match, with Fulham now attacking with real vigour.

Joe Hart needed to be alert on 61 minutes to get quickly down to his right and palm a goal-bound shot from Dembele around the post. Hart again came to the rescue for the visitors, palming away a header from Clint Dempsey – who rose remarkably at the far post to get his head to a Murphy corner.

Pajtim Kasami, Damien Duff’s replacement, offered the Whites additional width down the right flank which appeared to give the visitors real problems. Roberto Mancini, in an attempt to address their defensive issues, replaced David Silva with Pablo Zabaleta.

The Whites continued to press and were back on level terms on 75 minutes when Danny Murphy’s shot took a heavy deflection in the City area off Vincent Kompany and rolled past a completely wrong-footed Joe Hart.

City attempted to take the sting out of the game, slowing down proceedings before introducing Carlos Tevez in place of Sergio Aguero for their final change of the match.

City rallied after the change before Fulham introduced Bryan Ruiz for Mousa Dembele on 86 minutes to make for a tense final few minutes.
 

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