Manchester City vs Fulham predictions: Cottagers may pay the penalty at Etihad
- Manchester City have won their last 16 meetings with Fulham
- Both teams have scored in City's last five league games
- Recommended bet: Manchester City to score from a penalty
Two straight draws have seen Manchester City relinquish favouritism in the Premier League title race to Arsenal.
It is not exactly panic stations just yet for the champions, who are only one point adrift of leaders Liverpool, but they will be keen to regain the winning thread against Fulham, if only to prove that Rodri's season-ending knee injury is not the decisive blow to their dreams of a fifth consecutive title that some are suggesting.
Team news
Manchester City will be without their Spanish midfield maestro Rodri for the rest of the season due to an ACL injury.
Kevin De Bruyne has not played since suffering a hamstring injury against Inter Milan three weeks ago while Oscar Bobb is a long-term absentee after breaking his leg in training on the eve of the season.
Fulham forward Carlos Vinicius has not played this season but is on the brink of a return following a calf injury.
Manager Marco Silva could stick with the same starting 11 who have won their last two matches at home to Newcastle and away to Nottingham Forest.
The stats
Draws with Arsenal (2-2) and Newcastle (1-1) have halted City's run of 13 consecutive Premier League victories, although the champions are still unbeaten in 29 top-flight outings.
City have scored 14 goals in their first six league matches of the season but they have also failed to keep a clean sheet in their last five.
Erling Haaland has been responsible for 10 of their 14 strikes this term.
City have won their last 16 meetings with Fulham in all competitions and were 5-1 and 4-0 winners in the pair's two Premier League clashes last season.
Prediction
There are not too many observers foolish enough to write off Manchester City just yet but questions about Rodri's importance to their cause will only intensify should they fail to beat Fulham on Saturday.
Newcastle is a difficult place to go even with your most important player, so the champions' draw on Tyneside last weekend must be placed into context, and it is not like City did not have chances to win at St James' Park.
Fulham will present City with a different test but recent history suggests that the Cottagers, who have enjoyed an excellent start to the season, could be chasing shadows at the Etihad.
City have won their last 16 meetings against the Londoners and half of those victories have been by a three-goal margin or greater.
Remarkably, City have scored a penalty in each of the last eight clashes and, at 13/4, the prospects of the champions converting from the spot again on Saturday may have gone under the radar.
Pep Guardiola could field an attacking triumvirate of Savinho, Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku behind Erling Haaland and all three possess the pace and trickery to ensure that Fulham's rearguard will have to be extremely careful around the penalty area.
But if they are drawn into a foul inside the box, Haaland should be on hand to convert.
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