MANCHESTER CITY 5 FULHAM 0
Man City - Toure 26' (pen), 54' (pen), 65', Fernandinho 84', Demichelis 88'
Red cards - F Amorebieta (Fulham)
Man of the match - Yaya Toure (Manchester City)
MANCHESTER // Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini described his title-chasing side's 5-0 win on Saturday over 10-man Fulham as a "complete performance".
Yaya Toure scored a hat-trick as City eased past the struggling Fulham at the Etihad Stadium to climb to third. Fernandinho and Martin Demichelis also got on the scoresheet as bottom side Fulham capitulated after the sending off of Fernando Amorebieta early in the second half.
The goals scored were a fine riposte to top two Chelsea and Liverpool – who both scored six goals on the same day.
“It was a complete performance because we kept a clean sheet again. For me that is important,” Pellegrini said. “In the last part of the season I think we must be a very balanced team – not only scoring five goals but it is important not to concede goals.”
Toure’s first two goals were penalties, both conceded by Amorebieta, the second of which brought about his dismissal. He then curled in a sublime third from long range to take his tally for the season to 20.
The Ivorian is the third City player to reach that mark this season after Sergio Aguero and Alvaro Negredo while Edin Dzeko, who missed the game through illness, has 18.
Pellegrini said: “Maybe at the beginning of the season he received some criticism that he was not defending well, but defending is not allowing him to play freer.
“He is a very important player playing the way he likes to play. Scoring 20 goals for a midfielder is not easy in a season.”
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