Out of Africa and back to Manchester, Riyad Mahrez picked up where he left off. Algeria’s Cup of Nations campaign was underwhelming but the winger had scored in his five previous games for Manchester City before departing. He returned with a brace against Fulham in the FA Cup fourth round.
If few suggested Mahrez was the solution when City parted company with Sergio Aguero and missed out on Harry Kane last summer, the winger has compensated by becoming the top scorer. He has also established himself as the penalty taker, long Aguero’s role and often a problem for City.
“We struggle a lot in the last years to score a penalty and now it is a guarantee,” said Pep Guardiola. Mahrez has 15 goals for the season, a return that helps explain why City were content to let Ferran Torres leave and to sign Julian Alvarez but loan him back to River Plate. They have the firepower.
“He has a mentality to score but especially he has the quality,” said Guardiola. “Always he has a feeling to score a goal.” Mahrez allied that with creativity, ensuring City were level within two minutes when Fulham had the affront to take the lead.
The shock came in the early scoreline, showing toppers of the Championship ahead of the Premier League leaders. Normal service was restored long before the end.
City had an advantage after 13 minutes and ended with an 11th consecutive win against Fulham in a game that was as open and entertaining as had been promised. These sides are a guarantee of goals and they took their combined tally for the campaign to 165. Briefly, it seemed to be 166 when Liam Delap came off the bench to head in Ilkay Gundogan’s cross but an offside flag denied the youngster a first City goal.
But a teenager did score. Fabio Carvalho’s performance illustrated why Liverpool wanted him on deadline day and are still likely to sign him. The midfielder arrived unchecked to convert Harry Wilson’s deft low cross.
City responded with a statement of intent, Mahrez teeing up Gundogan to sidefoot in his shot. “The worst thing for us was that they equalised,” rued Fulham manager Marco Silva. “We lost straight away from the goal they scored.”
Then Kevin de Bruyne got the first of two very different assists. He whipped in a corner, John Stones applied just enough to his header to direct the ball in at the far post.
Mahrez sealed victory with a five-minute double, though he had expert assistance. First Jack Grealish set off on a slaloming run, going past two defenders before the third, Joe Bryan, upended him. Mahrez converted the resulting spot kick.
When the Algerian doubled his tally, it was a worse connection and his unfavoured foot, a right-footed effort that deflected off Tim Ream and rolled over the line.
It came courtesy of a sumptuous ball from De Bruyne, bending a pass into Mahrez’s path on a quick break. “Two goals that we should not concede,” lamented Silva. “We had the possession and lost it. After that they killed the game.”
Enterprising, adventurous and quicker on the counter-attack than many a Premier League side, Fulham were bright. Carvalho perhaps should have had a second, when Zack Steffen parried Neeskens Kebano’s ferocious shot and his follow-up was altogether tamer. “I know how tough this game was,” added Guardiola. “I am very pleased to be in next round because this round show us how difficult the FA Cup is.”
