Manchester City increased the pressure on title rivals Arsenal as Fulham were beaten 4-0 at Craven Cottage in London on Saturday.
Croatian Josko Gvardiol (2), Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez scored the goals for the away team, while Erling Braut Haaland had to go off the field goalless.
– Completely hopeless
During the match, the nomination for player of the year in the Premier League, which was recently announced, became a topic among Viaplay’s commentators.
Both Martin Ødegaard and Erling Braut Haaland have been nominated, but a big City name is missing, the experts believe.
– That Rodri is not on the nomination list is quite crazy, Nils Johan, says Andreas Toft to expert commentator Nils Johan Semb during the match.
Eight outstanding nominees, but there can only be one winner…
It’s time to vote for your 2023/24 @EASPORTSFC Player of the Season 😍 #PLAwards
— Premier League (@premierleague) May 9, 2024
The former national team manager agrees 100 per cent.
– Yes, then I don’t understand who sits on that committee or who has nominated. For me, he and Martin (Ødegaard) are the two biggest players who will fight for that title. Of course, you have a Foden who has been good, but Rodri and Martin Ødegaard are two obvious choices when choosing the player of the year in the Premier League. It is a total bypass by those who have looked at it there.
Also in Viaplay’s studio, the experts were shaking their heads at the decision to leave out Manchester City’s Spanish midfield general.
– We have to stop just picking the goalscorers. It is completely hopeless. That Rodrigo is not one of the eight is a scandal, perhaps taking it too far, but it is completely silly, says Tor Ole Skullerud.
Superior City
Manchester City got off to a dream start to the match when Josko Gvardiol played a wall with Kevin De Bruyne and poked into the back room.
Alone with goalkeeper Bernd Leno, he rolled the ball ice-cold into the corner before a quarter of an hour had been played.
In the second half, Phil Foden knocked in 0-2 with his right leg via the post from 15 meters away.
Just over 20 minutes before the end, Bernardo Silva swung the ball in from the right and at the back post Guardiol lunged forward and scored his second of the day.
After Haaland had been taken off the pitch, City were awarded a penalty in extra time. Julian Alvarez certainly put that in the goal.
In connection with the penalty situation, Fulham’s Issa Diop received his second yellow card of the day and thus took an early shower.
Manchester City are now two points ahead of Arsenal with both teams having two games left to play.