Fulham fought back from 2-0 down but were eventually beaten in a six-goal thriller at the Cottage.

Perhaps unjustly trailing to Yaya Toure’s free-kick and a Vincent Kompany strike in the first half, the Whites didn’t let their heads drop and levelled after the restart. Kieran Richardson slotted home Adel Taarabt’s cross to get things going and then Kompany sliced a Sascha Riether cross into his own net to make it 2-2.

Fulham were on top at this point but City went back in front through substitute Jesus Navas’ angled drive before the visitors made sure of the points when James Milner, who had just replaced Samir Nasri, slotted home.

René Meulensteen named two changes to the side that lost 4-1 at Everton last weekend, with Richardson replacing Alexander Kačaniklić and Taarabt coming in for the injured Dimitar Berbatov.

The Whites started brightly at a wet and windy Craven Cottage and enjoyed the early possession thanks to some sharp and concise passing. Their first opening came in the 12th minute. Gael Clichy, playing at right-back, slipped to allow Richardson in down the left. The former Manchester United man pulled the ball back to Taarabt who took a touch before hitting a left-footed shot which Joe Hart palmed away.

That seemed to awaken City who went straight down the other end and almost took the lead when Edin Dzeko beat Riether to a long ball into the box and teed up David Silva whose shot from 12 yards crashed back off the crossbar.

City were in front in the 23rd minute. Silva won a debatable free-kick off Steve Sidwell just outside the area and Toure stepped up to smash the effort from 20 yards over the wall and into the top right-hand corner of the net via the underside of the bar.

Fulham continued to press and Ashkan Dejagah flashed a couple of deliveries across the face of goal, while Dzeko should have done better when City broke in the 31st minute, electing to shoot instead of passing to Nasri, who was free, and seeing his effort cannon off Aaron Hughes.

The dangerous Taarabt forced Hart into a save low down to his right 60 seconds later and, at the other end, Dzeko met Aleksandar Kolorov’s cross but shot too close to Maarten Stekelenburg who beat his effort away.

Silva’s delightful chipped pass then deceived the Fulham defence and was met by Dzeko but, at full stretch, he couldn’t get enough power behind his header to really trouble Stekelenburg.

Meulensteen was forced into a change in the 37th minute as Philippe Senderos was replaced by Fernando Amorebieta, before Sidwell freed Taarabt who saw his shot deflected wide by Kompany. The resulting corner ended in a goalmouth scramble but Amorebieta couldn’t quite move his feet quickly enough to get a forceful shot away and City cleared their lines.

City were 2-0 up in the 43rd minute. John Arne Riise caught Nasri out on the right wing to give away a free-kick. Silva whipped the delivery to the far post where Martin Demichelis had peeled away and he nodded it back across goal for his defensive colleague Kompany to prod home from close range.

Demichelis was booked on the stroke of half-time for catching Taarabt before the first 45 came to a close. The Whites were applauded off at the break for a performance full of endeavour and determination but lacking in a little bit of luck.

It could have been 3-0 to City just after the break when Kolorov’s cross was met by a sliding Silva but his effort was pounced on by Stekelenburg. But Fulham reduced the arrears in the 50th minute with a superb counter-attack. Scott Parker robbed Silva just outside the box and Sidwell cleared the ball to Taarabt on the far touchline. There was still plenty for the Moroccan to do but he skipped brilliantly past Clichy to get free down the left before crossing for the unmarked Richardson to fire past Hart from seven yards.

Sidwell then headed a Dejagah cross wide on 56 minutes when Taarabt was better placed to meet it. And City substitute Navas shot the wrong side of the post from Silva’s cross after Sidwell had been caught in possession. Giorgos Karagounis was shown a yellow card before play restarted after fouling a City player in the build-up to the attack.

Nasri completely missed his kick from Navas’ cross as City threatened in the 63d minute, before Dejagah was replaced by Pajtim Kasami.

Fulham were level in comical fashion in the 69th minute. Parker freed Riether down the right and the full-back’s scuffed cross was swiped at by Kompany who saw the ball loop up and go in off the far post.

As the game became ever more open, City went back in front in the 78th minute when Silva picked up a loose ball in the centre of the park and played a slide-rule pass into the path of Navas who fired a right-footed drive through the legs of Stekelenburg from a tight angle.

Meulensteen responded by throwing Darren Bent into the action as the striker replaced Karagounis but almost immediately City increased their two-goal advantage again as Alvaro Negredo’s cross with the outside of his left boot was met by the onrushing Milner who made no mistake from eight yards.

The goal made sure of the points for City but Fulham could, once again, take plenty of positives from another much-improved performance.