Fulham ends City's perfect start in Premier League

Posted Monday, September 19, 2011 by YAHOO Sport

Fulham ended Manchester City’s perfect start to the Premier League season by rallying from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Craven Cottage on Sunday.

Big-spending City looked on its way to a fifth straight win when Argentina striker Sergio Aguero scored in the 18th minute and again 12 seconds into the second half to breeze into a 2-0 lead.

It needed Aguero’s eighth goal of the season to sting Fulham into life and the hosts belied their position in the bottom three of the division to earn a draw—thanks to goals by striker Bobby Zamora in the 55th and captain Danny Murphy 15 minutes from time.

Both teams were in European action in midweek but while it took Fulham a half to get going following its Europa League draw with FC Twente on Thursday, City—playing four days after its debut in the Champions League against Napoli — was sprightly going forward from the first whistle, led by the diminutive pair of Aguero and Spain playmaker David Silva.

Those two linked up for Aguero’s opener, the striker collecting Silva’s clipped through-ball and slotting a curling finish into the bottom corner from 10 yards (meters).

With City on the front foot and dominating in midfield, Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer needed to be at his athletic best to turn aside a long-range shot from left back Gael Clichy and a fierce left-foot strike by striker Edin Dzeko in the space of two minutes.

Fulham’s only chance of the first half fell to United States midfielder Clint Dempsey, whose low shot was easily held by goalkeeper Joe Hart, but the home side lacked guile in its buildup play and was proving easy to defend against.

Things changed in the second half, although Fulham went 2-0 behind before finally waking from its slumber.

Only 12 seconds of the second half had elapsed when Aguero controlled Dzeko’s flick-on from a long ball and fired a low shot past Schwarzer from just outside the area.

Rather than deflate Fulham further, that goal only motivated the hosts, who responded with Zamora’s fine effort in the 55th. The one-time England striker was found by Dempsey and was given far too much space in the area to turn and smash a rising shot with his right foot into the top corner for his second league goal in successive games.

Suddenly it was Fulham swarming all over City, which needed a last-ditch tackle from Micah Richards to deny Dempsey a shot on goal while Moussa Dembele forced a superb low save out of Hart.

Dempsey then saw Hart tip over a far-post header from substitute Pajtim Kasami’s corner and Fulham’s sudden dominance forced Mancini into a defensive substitution, bringing on Pablo Zabaleta for Silva.

It didn’t stop Fulham equalizing, with Murphy’s 25-yard shot taking a deflection off Kompany and squirming into the bottom corner past a wrongfooted Hart.

The introduction of Carlos Tevez for the final 10 minutes failed to make a difference for City as Fulham held out for only its third point of the campaign.