By THE SCM SPORTS TEAM
CRAVEN COTTAGE – On a Tuesday night that will be forever etched into Premier League folklore, the historic banks of the Thames erupted in footballing delirium as Manchester City clung on by a thread to beat Fulham 5-4 in the most bonkers match of the season.
This wasn’t just a game of football; it was 90 minutes of pure, unadulterated chaos, played out under the floodlights of London’s most charming and intimate stadium. And Craven Cottage, with its iconic red-brick pavilion and proximity to Bishop’s Park, provided the perfect, atmospheric stage for this spectacular meltdown.
The early narrative belonged to the inevitable Erling Haaland. Inside the opening quarter of an hour, the Norwegian hitman smashed home his 100th Premier League goal—the fastest player EVER to reach the milestone—a moment that should have secured the headlines. Tijjani Reijnders and a Phil Foden piledriver quickly followed, leaving City cruising at 3-0 and the famous old ground in near-silence.
Even when Emile Smith Rowe stooped to head one back for Fulham just before the break, it felt like little more than a courtesy.
When Foden bagged his second and a Sander Berge own goal made it 5-1 nine minutes after the restart, Pep Guardiola was already mentally preparing his travel arrangements. The game was dead.
Or so we thought.
But something special happens when this ground, nestled so tightly between the residential streets and the river, gets a whiff of a fight. Suddenly, the genteel atmosphere that Craven Cottage is known for vanished. It turned into a bear pit.
The noise started with Alex Iwobi’s beautifully curled strike on 57 minutes to make it 5-2. It became a deafening roar as substitute Samuel Chukwueze—Marco Silva’s inspired change—rifled home his first, then his second goal of the night in quick succession.
The clock had barely ticked past the 78th minute and the score was 5-4. The faithful in the Hammersmith End were simply ROARING the team on, demanding an equaliser that would have made history.
The famous old Cottage building looked ready to shake from the sheer intensity of the belief pouring from the stands. This was vintage, thrilling, ‘anything can happen’ Premier League stuff.
In the dying seconds, with eight minutes of stoppage time played and every City player looking terrified, the moment arrived. Josh King drove an effort through a packed box that had Gianluigi Donnarumma beaten.
But just as the RIVERSIDE STAND held its breath, Josko Gvardiol produced the goal-line clearance of his life, hooking the ball away almost off his own heels. The final whistle sounded moments later, leaving City relieved, Fulham heartbroken, and the rest of us gasping for air.
Manchester City took the points, but the real winner was the spectacle, and the glorious, chaotic old theatre that is Craven Cottage.
