Manchester City 3-0 Fulham: 5 Talking Points

#4 Pep experiments with his defence in the absence of Mendy and Danilo

Fernandinho played at right-back for the final third of the game

With the result already beyond doubt once Raheem Sterling tapped in Aguero’s low cross, Pep Guardiola saw the situation as an opportunity to re-shuffle his men in defence ahead of a hectic schedule of 7 games in three days and full-backs Benjamin Mendy and Danilo injured. With half an hour to play, starting left-back Fabian Delph was subbed off for German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan.

Natural right-back Kyle Walker fitted into left-back, with defensive midfielder Fernandinho deployed as a makeshift right back. The switch in personnel hardly made City vulnerable to any degree of Fulham pressure, as they played ‘keep-ball’ for the remainder of the game and professionally ran down the clock. In fact, it was Fernandinho who managed to bring the ball up the right flank and get a cross or two in.

Walker’s stint at left-back clearly displayed his lack of a threatening left-foot, cutting in every time the ball fell at his feet. Though the move is unlikely to be repeated in future games, Pep’s affordability to experiment only sought to reflect the levels of class by which they dominated the opposition at the Etihad on Saturday.