Nigeria winger Samuel Chukwueze scores twice as Fulham falls to Man City in nine-goal thriller

Manchester City edged Fulham 5-4 in a remarkable Premier League encounter at Craven Cottage, where Nigerian winger Samuel Chukwueze delivered a spectacular late brace that nearly inspired an improbable comeback.

Manchester City began with urgency, pushing to close the gap on leaders Arsenal, and they nearly struck inside six minutes when Erling Haaland hit the post from close range.

The Norway striker soon found his mark, turning in Jeremy Doku’s low cross to record his 100th Premier League goal, reaching the milestone in only 111 matches.

Fulham’s brightest early moments came through Emile Smith Rowe, who forced Gianluigi Donnarumma into a strong save before missing a second effort.

City punished that wastefulness as Haaland slipped a pass to Tijjani Reijnders, who lifted the ball over Bernd Leno to double the advantage.

Phil Foden then curled a superb effort from distance to make it three, though Smith Rowe’s clever header before the break restored some belief for the hosts.

City reasserted control soon after the restart. Foden netted again from a tight angle before Doku’s strike deflected off Sander Berge and dropped under the bar for City’s fifth.

Fulham hit back when Alex Iwobi guided a precise low shot into the corner, but City almost struck again when Haaland headed against the post.

Fulham’s resistance flared dramatically in the final stages. Samuel Chukwueze volleyed in his first goal for the club to cut the deficit, and the Nigerian winger soon added another, drilling a fierce finish into the corner after Donnarumma failed to deal with a corner.

Craven Cottage erupted as Fulham pressed for an extraordinary equaliser, with Josh King having a late attempt cleared off the line.

City held firm to claim their fourth win in five league matches, while Fulham suffered only their second home defeat of the season despite a spirited late rally inspired by Chukwueze’s brilliant brace.