Manchester City kept the Premier League title race under their control after cruising to a 4-0 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday.
Josko Gvardiol kept up his incredible recent goalscoring form with two more in the London sunshine, with Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez also on target in a result that boosted City's goal-difference column in the standings.
The victory moved them top of the table, two points ahead of Arsenal, with the Gunners in action against Manchester United on Sunday. Should they fail to win at Old Trafford, City could become champions by defeating Tottenham on May 14.
MORE: Man City's remaining schedule and what they need to win Premier League title
Fulham vs Man City live score
| Fulltime | Goal scorers | |
| Fulham | 0 | |
| Man City | 4 | Gvardiol 13', 73', Foden 59', Alvarez 90+6' |
Starting lineups:
Fulham (4-2-3-1, right to left): 17. Bernd Leno (GK) — 21. Timothy Castagne, 31. Issa Diop, 3. Calvin Bassey, 33. Antonee Robinson — 22. Alex Iwobi, 26. Joao Palhina — 14. Bobby De Cordova-Reid (10. Tom Cairney), 18. Andreas Pereira (8. Harry Wilson), 20. Willian (11. Adama Traore) — 19. Rodrigo Muniz (9. Armando Broja)
Man City (4-2-3-1, right to left): 31. Ederson (GK) — 25. Manuel Akanji, 3. Ruben Dias, 6. Nathan Ake (2. Kyle Walker), 24. Josko Gvardiol — 16. Rodri, 8. Mateo Kovacic (82. Rico Lewis) — 20 Bernardo Silva, 17. Kevin De Bruyne (11. Jeremy Doku), 47. Phil Foden (52. Oscar Bobb) — 9. Erling Haaland (19. Julian Alvarez)
They got off to a strong start at Craven Cottage, Gvardiol scoring after 13 minutes to give them the lead off another Kevin De Bruyne assist at the end of a flowing passing move.
Foden swept home with his right foot from the edge of the box to double to lead against a Fulham side who had barely threatened Ederson's goal in the first hour. Gvardiol got his second of the game from Bernardo Silva's cross 14 minutes later, VAR correctly allowing the goal to stand after an offside check, to leave Fulham resigned to a 16th consecutive defeat against City in all competitions.
Alvarez scored from the penalty spot with the final kick of the game after Issa Diop received a second yellow card for his foul on the forward. Gvardiol appeared to turn down the chance for a hat-trick, apparently preferring to give City the best chance possible of racking up a high score.
Pep Guardiola's team have now taken a significant step towards a record fourth consecutive Premier League title.
MORE: Latest Golden Boot rankings as Erling Haaland looks set to win award again
Fuham vs Man City match stats
| Fulham | Stat | Man City |
| 1 | Shots | 16 |
| 1 | Shots on target | 9 |
| 0.12 | Expected goals | 3.15 |
| 35% | Possession | 65% |
| 409 | Passes | 759 |
| 1 | Corners | 7 |
| 0 | Offsides | 0 |
| 9 | Fouls | 6 |
| 1 | Yellow cards | 0 |
| 1 | Red cards | 0 |
Julian Alvarez penalty: Diop sent off for poor lunge
Already on a yellow card, Diop compounded a poor performance with an ill-timed challenge on Alvarez in the dying moments of injury time, earning himself a (slightly) early bath in the process. After City captain Kyle Walker appeared to encourage Gvardiol to take the kick to complete his hat-trick — and the Croatia defender said "no" — Alvarez dispatched the penalty confidently.
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Josko Gvardiol second goal: Close-range finish after VAR call
Gvardiol slid in at the far post to prod the ball beneath Bernd Leno following a teasing cross from Bernardo Silva. There was a check for offside against Manuel Akanji, but VAR correctly ruled that a lackadaisical Adama Traore had played him onside. Gvardiol has now scored five goals in his past seven games, which is some going for a full-back.
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Phil Foden goal: Right-foot shot after Bernardo Silva run
Foden made it 2-0 just before the hour mark. Silva spun away superbly from Antonee Robinson down the right wing and drove towards the edge of the penalty area. Joao Palhinha's robust challenge halted his run, but the loose ball fell to Foden, who shot first time with his right foot and found the bottom-left corner of the net.
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Josko Gvardiol goal: Defender scores after team move
Gvardiol opened the scoring in the 13th minute of the match following a magnificent 19-pass move. The defender exchanged passes with De Bruyne before turning away from Issa Diop — who then seemed to give up on trying to block a potential shot — and finishing low past Leno with his right foot.
It saw De Bruyne draw level with Cesc Fabregas on 111 assists in England's top flight, with only Ryan Giggs above him on the all-time list.
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Fuham vs Man City head to head
Man City have won 41 of the matches between these teams, including each of the previous 16 in all competitions. Fulham's last victory over City came back in 2009.
| Fulham wins | Draws | Man City wins |
| 17 | 17 | 41 |
| Biggest win: 5-0 (March 2014) | Biggest win: 5-1 (March 1984) |
Premier League live standings: Updated table
Man City moved ahead of Arsenal thanks to their resounding win. The Gunners will reclaim top spot should they beat Manchester United on Sunday, but they will have played a game more.
Table is correct after Fulham 0-4 Man City
| Pos | Team | Points | Matches Played | Goals Scored | Goal Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Manchester City | 85 | 36 | 91 | +58 |
| 2. | Arsenal | 83 | 36 | 88 | +60 |
| 3. | Liverpool | 78 | 36 | 81 | +43 |
| 4. | Aston Villa | 67 | 36 | 73 | +20 |
| 5. | Tottenham Hotspur | 60 | 35 | 69 | +11 |
| 6. | Newcastle United | 56 | 35 | 78 | +22 |
| 7. | Chelsea | 54 | 35 | 70 | +11 |
| 8. | Manchester United | 54 | 35 | 52 | -3 |
| 9. | West Ham | 49 | 36 | 56 | -14 |
| 10. | Bournemouth | 48 | 36 | 52 | -11 |
| 11. | Brighton | 47 | 35 | 53 | -4 |
| 12. | Wolves | 46 | 36 | 49 | -11 |
| 13. | Fulham | 44 | 37 | 51 | -8 |
| 14. | Crystal Palace | 43 | 36 | 49 | -8 |
| 15. | Everton* | 37 | 36 | 38 | -11 |
| 16. | Brentford | 36 | 36 | 52 | -8 |
| 17. | Nottingham Forest** | 29 | 36 | 45 | -18 |
| 18. | Luton Town | 26 | 36 | 49 | -29 |
| 19. | Burnley | 24 | 36 | 31 | -35 |
| 20. | Sheffield United (R) | 16 | 36 | 35 | -65 |
When can Man City win the Premier League?
After beating Fulham, City are two points clear at the top of the table, having played the same number of matches as Arsenal.
If Arsenal fail to win at Manchester United on Sunday, City will be champions if they defeat Tottenham on May 14.