Haaland to rescue as City almost pay penalty

10-man Blues produce another stirring comeback

- SIMON BAJKOWSKI

IT was all set up to be a routine City victory.

Pep Guardiola's team bossed the possession from the off against a timid Fulham side, enjoying more than 75 per cent of the ball when they made their pressure tell in the 17th minute.

Ilkay Gundogan cut open the Cottagers with a ball slid through for Julian Alvarez to smash past Bernd Leno and set up a comfortable afternoon for the home team.

The only thing that could derail City was City themselves... and that is exactly what they did.

Nathan Ake failed to deal with a simple ball over the top and when Carlos Vinicius played in Harry Wilson in the box Joao Cancelo was inexplicably clumsy as he barged him to the floor to concede a penalty and earn a red card.

Cancelo was not great, and received an almighty rollocking from Guardiola as he left the pitch, but the greater fault lay in the collective team for allowing Cancelo - a man not known for world-class defending to be the last man: had no lessons been taken from defeat at Anfield?