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Fulham v Manchester City: Citizens hold Asian Handicap appeal

Fulham 13.50 boss Marco Silva felt his side had the chances to win last weekend’s 0-0 draw at West London rivals Brentford. The match was largely starved of quality, summed up by a poor miss from Cottagers substitute Raul Jimenez, who lifted a glorious second-half opportunity over the bar, one of 15 attempts at goal from the Whites.

However, Fulham could only manage three on-target throughout the game and Silva said, “It was a tough match, for both sides, as expected when it is a derby match. It was a tight game. We created enough to win the game but, in some moments, the simple thing was the last decision or finish to put the ball in the net – and we missed that. We lacked composure.”

The stalemate came hot on the heels of a similarly insipid 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace, meaning the Cottagers have now won just once in seven Premier League showdowns, failing to secure top honors in their last three as hosts. Concerning too, the Whites have also shipped at least three goals in three of their aforementioned seven matches.

Manchester City 1.171/6 extended their Premier League winning streak to six with a 5-1 demolition of Wolves last time out. Erling Haaland’s first four-goal haul in the top-flight meant Pep Guardiola’s group remain in control of their destiny, knowing they are now just three league wins away from a historic fourth successive English league title.

Analyzing the encounter, Guardiola said: “It looks comfortable but it was not. In the end we created more chances but in the transition, we were not precise in the last pass. But Erling (Haaland) is back to business. They (Wolves ) have a really, really good team but we made calls in the right moment, especially with the fourth because at 3-1 anything can happen.”

Man City are now 32 (W26-D6-L0) games unbeaten across all competitions and have been flexing their muscles during the end-of-season run-in. During their recent six-game winning sequence, the Citizens have scored four goals or more on five occasions, generating 2.61 Expected Goals (xG) per game and winning the shots in the box count 55-15.

Fulham were flattened 5-1 at The Etihad back in September, and whilst a repeat scoreline looks unlikely on Saturday, Manchester City still hold plenty of appeal in the Asian Handicap market here. Man City -1.5/2.0 provides profit for punters should the Citizens win by a margin of two goals or more, with a full pay-out ensured if City succeeds by 3+.

The defending champions have claimed 11 away triumphs in 12 Premier League dates with teams in eighth and below, with eight of those victories arriving by a margin of two goals or more. Man City have scored three goals or more in seven of those 12 tussles, and their current goalscoring form suggests a repeat could well be on the cards at the Cottage.

Fulham have lost five of their seven previous home meetings with top-eight opposition this term, and Marco Silva’s men have dipped below their seasonal averages in both boxes of late. The Whites have appeared porous defensively, while the hosts have also failed to record an Expected Goals (xG) tally bigger than 1.30 in eight of their last 11 EPL fixtures.

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