Man City 2 Fulham 1: Erling Haaland scores dramatic last-minute penalty to salvage stunning win for ten-man City
ERLING HALAAND came off the bench to send the Etihad – and Pep Guardiola wild.
Manchester City’s £51million goal monster hit the net from the spot two minutes into added time for his ten-man side after Joao Cancelo had been red-carded midway through the first half.
City were leading through Julian Alvarez’s 17th-minute opener when Cancelo charged into Harry Wilson.
He got his marching orders for being City’s last man and ex–Manchester United midfielder Andreas Pereira stepped up to slot home the 28th-minute penalty.
Yet even with one man down boss Guardiola refused to settle for a point in his bid to climb back over Arsenal and into the Prem’s top spot.
He sent on Haaland, who had been missing for two games with ankle trouble, along with Phil Foden in the 64th minute and a barrage began.
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Haaland mis–kicked with his first goal attempt, and failed to connect with another.
Then he saw a flying header from Kevin de Bruyne’s cross ruled out by VAR for offside 15 minutes from time.
But Haaland and his team-mates refused to accept they were chasing a lost cause as Fulham tried everything to slow the game down.
And finally there was the breakthrough for them.
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Antonee Robinson caught Kevin De Bruyne’s ankles just inside the Fulham box and Haaland stepped up.
He looked nervous, replacing the ball on the spot three times.
And his penalty kick wasn’t the best but goalkeeper Bernd Leno dived the right way and let the half–hit shot fly under him.
He was kicking himself. But Haaland had his 23rd goal in 19 appearances and 17 in the league – the same total Cristiano Ronaldo managed in the Prem last season.
And just like his manager, he went wild too.
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