The 26th round of the Premier League once again showed the fans what intrigue, pace and pressure from big teams can be like. One of the central matches of the round was held in Manchester: Manchester City confidently hosted Fulham at home, scoring three goals without reply.
This victory for the "city" is not just 3 points - it is another tough step in the pursuit of the leading "Arsenal". The team has increased its points to 53, reducing the gap with the first-place "Arsenal" (56) by 3 points. The championship race has now heated up even more: each round is a big test, each goal is worth its weight in gold.
The game opened in the 24th minute: Semenyo headed the ball in, putting City ahead. Not long after, in the 30th minute, O'Reilly doubled the advantage. In the 39th minute, Haaland made it 3-0 before the break. In short, City disrupted the opponent's plan in the first half and took control of the game.
This match was especially important for us in another way: the defender of the Uzbek national team, Abdukadir Khusanov, was brought on from the bench in the 60th minute. It is not easy to join the game at such moments - the pace is high, the opponent is still looking for a counterattack, every position becomes a struggle. However, the fact that Khusanov appears in such games in a league like the Premier League is a sign of his growing confidence, and the coaching staff has high expectations and trust in him. And the fans understand such moments very well: “less time” does not mean “less importance”.
Manchester City - Fulham 3:0
Goals: Semenyo (24), O'Reilly (30), Haaland (39).
Manchester City - Donnarumma, Nunes (Husanov, 60), Dias, Gehi, Ait-Nouri, Silva (Reinders, 60), Rodri (Nico, 71), O'Reilly, Foden (Sherki, 71), Semenyo, Haaland (Marmoush, 46).
Fulham - Leno, Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Sessegnon, Iwobi, Berg (Reid, 81), Wilson (Bobb, 72), Smith-Rowe (King, 60), Chukwueze (Kevin, 60), Jimenez (Muniz, 60).
Bookings: Andersen (31), Silva (41), Foden (66), Nico (83).
Another important result of the round: Aston Villa fought patiently against Brighton and snatched victory in the last minutes. The fate of the match was decided in the 87th minute - Mings scored and Villa won 1:0. This is also a big plus in the fight for the top places in the tournament table.
Aston Villa - Brighton 1:0
Goal: Mings (87).
The match between Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton ended goalless - 0:0. Especially when every point was a matter of life and death for Wolverhampton, such a draw gave them a chance to catch their breath, but the situation is still very difficult.
Nottingham Forest — Wolverhampton 0:0
The conclusion is this: the round is over, but the big fight is just beginning. Manchester City wrote in big letters in the championship race, "I'm still here." Khusanov's appearance on the field reminded us of another thing: every minute of the Uzbek player on the highest stage is a step towards even greater opportunities tomorrow. And that's what the fans need: confidence, patience and results.
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