Jeremy Doku is everything Jack Grealish isn't as Man City see off impressive Fulham

MAN CITY 3-2 FULHAM: Jeremy Doku came disconnected the seat to people a important extremity arsenic Manchester City saw disconnected tge menace of an awesome Fulham broadside who pushed them each the way

In a cameo that lasted small implicit fractional an hour, Jeremy Doku was everything Jack Grealish, the subordinate helium replaced, had not been. Exciting, direct, blessed to instrumentality a risk, looking similar idiosyncratic who could marque thing hap each clip helium touched the ball. And a extremity threat.

In the expansive strategy of things, a onslaught of venomous quality - which, eventually, became the victor - could good transportation a bully grade of significance.

With implicit 10 minutes left, Fulham were hammering astatine City’s doorway and an equaliser looked likely. But Doku past chopped wrong and his onslaught swerved astatine precocious velocity to springiness City breathing space.

Thanks to a extremity from Rodrigo Muniz, they needed that space. Remember the moaning astir Arsenal’s acheronian arts? Well, Ederson was booked for time-wasting here. That tells you what you request to know.

Apart from Mateo Kovacic, whose 2 goals cancelled retired the opener from Andreas Pereira, City - arsenic a portion - were mostly uninspired. But that explosive involution from Doku was, successful the end, decisive.

The 22-year-old Belgian is specified a threatening enactment for Pep Guardiola to person astatine his disposal. Against bushed legs, helium was ever a danger.

But, long-term, Doku mightiness good beryllium disappointed if helium is not up of Grealish successful the pecking order. To spot Grealish successful specified a constricted presumption is faintly dispiriting. He mightiness service an important relation successful the City strategy but Guardiola has, essentially, drained astir each driblet of unpredictability from the England man.

No wonderment Grealish sometimes looks arsenic though helium has much amusive successful an planetary jersey than a nine one. It is amusive with England, functional with City.

A subordinate should ne'er beryllium judged connected statistic alone, which is conscionable arsenic good for Grealish. Since the opening of past season, Grealish has scored lone 4 Premier League goals and made a specified 2 assists.

That truly is simply a mediocre instrumentality for a subordinate of his ability. Against a truly bully Fulham team, Grealish was not the lone City subordinate to find the going tough.

This was a time erstwhile City had to excavation in, a time erstwhile imaginativeness was successful abbreviated supply, a time erstwhile Adama Traore would person condemned the champions to decision had helium been remotely clinical, a time erstwhile they looked thing similar lukewarm favourites to clasp the rubric they person won successful the erstwhile 4 seasons.

If that really did happen, it would mean Bernardo Silva being 1 of those with SEVEN Premier League winners’ medals successful his collection.

Silva deserved peculiar notation for this display. He provided a clever assistance for the 2nd from Kovacic but this was not really a stellar show from the Portuguese midfielder.

It was, though, a reminder of wherefore Guardiola has treasured him implicit the past 7 years. Silva is simply a tireless contributor to the cause,

He has often been linked with a determination distant but no-one has been arsenic dutiful a servant to Pep and to City than Silva has. City person won truthful overmuch successful the Guardiola era, the statue builders volition beryllium engaged for immoderate clip to come.

Pep himself volition get 1 aft helium has near and Kevin de Bruyne volition surely beryllium immortalised successful stone. Lord Pannick mightiness adjacent beryllium honoured if helium gets City disconnected the 115 charges.

But erstwhile the Guardiola epoch ends and the greats are remembered, Silva should not beryllium forgotten. Guardiola volition ne'er under-estimate Silva’s importance, hence a peculiar hug for him erstwhile City yet got implicit the enactment against a Fulham broadside that volition wonderment however it near with nothing.

As a manager, Marco Silva has present mislaid each ELEVEN of his matches against Manchester City. And helium volition astir apt ne'er person a amended accidental of winning 1 than helium did against an under-par City here. But champions find a mode to triumph - and Doku made definite they did conscionable that.

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