Man City 5-0 Fulham: Toure nets hat-trick to thrash ten-man visitors as Pellegrini's side maintain title challenge

By Joe Bernstein, Mail On Sunday

PUBLISHED: 11:52 EST, 22 March 2014 | UPDATED: 20:33 EST, 22 March 2014


Match zone

Click here for your ultimate stats package from the big game, including Yaya Toure's industrious heat map...

Man of the match: Yaya Toure covered a lot of ground against Fulham


Who needs top strikers when Yaya Toure is on the prowl?

With Sergio Aguero injured and Edin Dzeko unwell, the midfield Ivory Coast powerhouse took responsibility for snuffing out Fulham’s challenge single-handed and grabbed his first hat-trick in English football with two expertly-taken penalties and a trademark piledriver from outside the penalty area.

It took the 30-year-old’s tally past the milestone of 50 goals for Manchester City and more importantly kept them on the heels of Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea in the title race with Fernandinho’s powerful late strike and a tap-in for Martin Demichelis the icing on the cake.

City still trail the leaders by six points but have three games in hand. The next two matches this week, biggies away to Manchester United and Arsenal, could be critical.

Happy man: Yaya Toure scored a hat-trick for Manchester City against Fulham in a 4-0 win

Happy man: Yaya Toure scored a hat-trick for Manchester City against Fulham in a 4-0 win

Repeat: Yaya rolls his second penalty past the despairing David Stockdale

Repeat: Yaya rolls his second penalty past the despairing David Stockdale

Well played: Manuel Pellegrini lets his midfielder get a standing ovation after taking him off

Well played: Manuel Pellegrini lets his midfielder get a standing ovation after taking him off

Match facts

MANCHESTER CITY: (4-1-4-1) Hart 6; Zabaleta 6, Dimichelis 6, Lescott 6, Kolarov 6; Fernandhino 7; Milner 8, Toure 8.5 (Rodwell 76mins 6), Silva 7.5 (Navas 63mins 6), Nasri 7 (Jovetic 81mins 6); Negredo 6

GOALS: Toure 26 (pen), 53 (pen), 65, Fernadhino 84, Dimichelis 87

FULHAM(4-3-3): Stockdale 5.5; Heitinga 6, Hangeland 6,  Amorebieta 4,  Riise 5; Riether 6, Kvist 6, Sidwell 6;  Kacaniklic 6.5 (Roberts 54mins 6), Woodrow 6.5, (Kasami 83mins 6)Richardson 5.5  (Holtby 54mins 6).

BOOKED: Amorebieta, Sidwell, Roberts, Holtby

SENT OFF: Amorebieta

REFEREE: Jon Moss 6

MAN OF THE MATCH: Yaya Toure

*Ratings by IAN LADYMAN at the Etihad Stadium

As for bottom-of-the-table Fulham, they are four points adrift of safety having played more games than their relegation rivals. Their performance suggested they haven’t given up yet but their home game against Everton on Sunday is beginning to take on the look of do-or-die and they will be without defender Fernando Amorebieta, sent off on Saturday for the second of the spot-kicks he conceded.

For Pellegrini, it was a welcome return to the scoring form City showed earlier in the season with United lying in wait on Tuesday night.

‘It was a complete performance with a clean sheet as well. I wasn’t worried in the last month about scoring because we were still creating chances but to get a good win is always  important for the next match.

‘Yaya was being criticised for his defensive work earlier in the season but it’s not easy to score 20 goals. It would be easy for me to tell him to stay back all the time but it’s important to get him forward and play the way he does.

‘With Yaya, this team doesn’t just depend on one striker. If a striker doesn’t score, we have other players who can.’

My match ball: Toure is congratulated by team-mates, and there was another goal to come...

My match ball: Toure is congratulated by team-mates, and there was another goal to come...

Early bath: Fernando Amorebieta is sent off for bringing down David Silva in the box

Early bath: Fernando Amorebieta is sent off for bringing down David Silva in the box

Composed: Toure slots his first penalty away at the Etihad Stadium

Composed: Toure slots his first penalty away at the Etihad Stadium

Goalscorer: The Ivorian grabbed his 49th and 50th goals for City on Saturday

Goalscorer: The Ivorian grabbed his 49th and 50th goals for City on Saturday

 

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Dzeko rang in sick in the morning but City hope it’s a short-term bug and he will be alright for Old Trafford.

Alvaro Negredo was named City’s sole striker due to the absence of others while City hoped the absence of suspended skipper Vincent Kompany wouldn’t harm them at the other end.

Negredo, nicknamed the beast, is a pain in the backside for defenders and the description proved apt as City went ahead after 26 minutes.

Amorebieta allowed the striker to get goalside and inadvertently kicked him in the buttocks as he tried to clear a long punt.

Negredo needed no second invitation and after a long pause referee Jon Moss – perhaps aware that City had already been denied two penalty shouts against Steve Sidwell – pointed to the spot.

Venezuelan Amorebieta escaped with just a yellow card but Fulham were punished enough moments later when Toure cooly wrongfooted David Stockdale from the spot.

And it's four! Fernandinho piled the misery on the Cottagers

And it's four! Fernandinho piled the misery on the Cottagers

And it's four! Fernandinho piled the misery on the Cottagers
Rare strike: Even centre-half Martin Demichelis got on the scoresheet

Rare strike: Even centre-half Martin Demichelis got on the scoresheet

Cynical: Amorebieta picks up his first yellow card for kicking Alvaro Negredo in the backside

Cynical: Amorebieta picks up his first yellow card for kicking Alvaro Negredo in the backside

Ouch: The Spaniard feels sorry for himself on the floor, but at least he earned his side a spot-kick

Ouch: The Spaniard feels sorry for himself on the floor, but at least he earned his side a spot-kick

DISTANCE COVERED STATS

                                 MINS PLD     KM      MILES

Man City - total                      109.9     68.3

James Milner             90           11.7       7.3
Fernando Luiz Rosa  90           11.0       6.8
Aleksandar Kolarov    90          10.8       6.7

Fulham - total                        107.7     66.9

Steve Sidwell             90           11.7       7.3
Cauley Woodrow       84           11.2       6.9
William Kvist              90           11.0       6.9

EA SPORTS

  • Data courtesy of EA SPORTS, Official Sports Technology Partner of the Premier League

Fulham’s manager Felix Magath thought the penalty award was wrong. ‘There was contact, sure. But for me, it was not a penalty,’ he said.

‘It was  the moment we lost the game. Until then, we had been doing well but after that we lost confidence.’

Fulham rallied spiritedly given their position in the table. Richardson sent  a fizzer wide while the young  workhorse Callum Woodrow missed with a header.

Even so, City had all the big individual weapons. Silva’s clever dink was headed off the line by Amorebieta and Aleksandr Kolarov made the crossbar shake from Milner’s lay-off.

The game was settled after 54 minutes, Silva was too quick for Amorebieta as he latched onto Milner’s pass and was clearly tripped.

The South American was sent off and Toure rolled in his second penalty with the ease of his first.

Bad day at the office: Fulham manager Felix Magath watches on from the touchline

Bad day at the office: Fulham manager Felix Magath watches on from the touchline

Commitment: Negredo puts his body in the way to stop Kieran Richardson's free-kick

Commitment: Negredo puts his body in the way to stop Kieran Richardson's free-kick

Title race: A City fan shows a sign to show they are ready for a battle with Chelsea and Liverpool

Title race: A City fan shows a sign to show they are ready for a battle with Chelsea and Liverpool


Skills: Aleksandr Kolariv skips past the challenge of Alex Kacaniklic

Skills: Aleksandr Kolariv skips past the challenge of Alex Kacaniklic

Magath accused his side of caving in with 10 men. ‘We lost a player but that is  no reason to stop playing,’ he said.

The German said it calmly but you can bet the point  was made far more forcefully within the confies of the dressing-room.

Toure then saved his best til last, curling a 25-yard drive from the edge of the area past Stockdale’s despairing dive to reach 20 goals for the season, Pellegrini then hooking him and Silva for rest ahead of Tuesday’s sterner test at Old Trafford.

But with Fulham wilting, it still proved shooting practise against 10-man Fulham.

Fernandinho burst forward to hit the roof of the net to make it 4-0 and Fulham’s was summed up when  Stockdale saved well from substitute Stevan Jovetic and the ball rebounded straight to Demichelis a couple of yards out.

It was the Argentine’s first City goal and judging by the ovation at full-time, the noisy neighbours are in good nick to face United.

Why does it always rain on me: It was a tough day for Fulham keeper David Stockdale

Why does it always rain on me: It was a tough day for Fulham keeper David Stockdale

Disheartening: John Heitinga and his team-mates walk away as City celebrate another goal

Disheartening: John Heitinga and his team-mates walk away as City celebrate another goal

Just missed: David Silva wastes a good chance to score another

Just missed: David Silva wastes a good chance to score another

 

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Cant wait to beat The Rags - #Inmoyeswetrust #worsteverchampions

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Negredo got a kick up the backside - just what he needed - now start scoring again. Demichelis `s goal 30 yard blockbuster or apparently even he couldn't mess it up from 1 yard ? Contrast with Yaya`s non penalty goal. He still has a lot to do before I`ll forgive Demichelis for this season. Why no Dzecko on the pitch - guy needs to score to get his confidence back. Next 4 games a 100% win (or at least a draw at Liverpool and possibly 1 other draw at the very worst) rate is crucial, and I cannot see us doing this. - ian walt, London, United Kingdom, 23/03/2014 07:56 Dzeko was at home ill, is that reason enough for you?

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yo yo, city rentals council dwellers are C H 1 T E, always were, always will be, just pure and utter sc utter.

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Negredo got a kick up the backside - just what he needed - now start scoring again. Demichelis `s goal 30 yard blockbuster or apparently even he couldn't mess it up from 1 yard ? Contrast with Yaya`s non penalty goal. He still has a lot to do before I`ll forgive Demichelis for this season. Why no Dzecko on the pitch - guy needs to score to get his confidence back. Next 4 games a 100% win (or at least a draw at Liverpool and possibly 1 other draw at the very worst) rate is crucial, and I cannot see us doing this.

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Well done City! I hope Pellegrini would not be confuses about which side he will be managing in the Manchester derby this Tuesday.

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He will know because his team will be laughing and cheering, the team that is crying would obviously be Man Utd, easy when you think about it.

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Footloser. You will know plenty about emptying stadiums. Against Lpool it looked like a fire drill ! Keep taking the power shift prevention pills !!!!!!

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Yaya Toure, Suarez & Hazard are the 3 best players in the league without a doubt.

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Oh dear, poor TONY (cockney glory boy) had his ridiculous comment removed, I guess that's what happens when you talk utter crap. How come you were commenting on a City thread while Utd were playing? I guess you're not the passionate fan you claim to be, not so interesting when they're not doing so well eh Gloria?

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Unless we make noise about protecting Silva - we will soon him injured for a good few weeks with a broken Ankle or Tibia ! As much we hate Mourinho - after his comments about City and Refs... we have been at the receiving end of everything unless it is as blatant as it was for the few of the many fouls against us awarded today ! We should ask the FA take a look at the number of fouls committed against Silva alone - and take that into account ! We are allowed to make some right noises ! We are not Mourinho ! talk about other teams... Imagine if someone does a foul on Messi - the whole world will cry !

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YAYA YAYA-YAYA YAYA-YAYA YAYA-YAYA TOURE KOLO KOLO-KOLO KOLO-KOLO KOLO-KOLO TOURE

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