Kovacic shines in City victory, Arsenal stages dramatic comeback

Mateo Kovacic has scored three goals in a league season for the first time since 2014-15 at Inter Milan. (Getty Images)

BBC Sport, October 5 — Mateo Kovacic scored twice as Manchester City overcame a dogged Fulham to pick up a first Premier League win in three games.

City dominated the early stages before Raul Jimenez's outstanding backheel cross enabled Andreas Pereira to score from close range.

Adama Traore missed two big chances either side of that - being denied by Ederson in a one-on-one and then skying a shot from inside the box.

And City midfielder Kovacic made him pay.

His first was a first-time effort from a half-cleared corner that went in via a deflection.

And his second, shortly into the second half, was a much cleaner strike from the edge of the area.

There was almost a twist, as Traore beat Kyle Walker for pace before again shooting at Ederson.

In fact, City conceded several more chances before Jeremy Doku drifted in from the left and crashed a fantastic strike into the far top corner.

At that stage you thought surely City were home and dry but they left substitute Rodrigo Muniz free in the box to give Fulham renewed hope late on.

But Marco Silva's side could not muster an equaliser.

City are now unbeaten in 50 home games in all competitions, the fourth English top-flight side to ever manage that.

Kovacic gets City back on winning trail (just)

City fans unveiled a banner before kick-off in boss Pep Guardiola's native Catalan saying they want him to stay. His contract expires at the end of his season and he has been non-committal on his future.

It is an undeniable fact that Manchester City are a better team with defensive midfielder Rodri starting.

But since coming off, with a season-ending injury, at 1-0 up against Arsenal they drew that game and then were held by Newcastle in their next Premier League match.

Failure to win here would have meant three Premier League games without a win for the first time in 2024.

And for a while it was looking a real possibility.

If Traore had taken his chances it might have been 2-0 to Fulham, or even 3-0.

Kovacic and Ilkay Gundogan have been City’s double pivot since the injury to Rodri, effectively two men replacing one.

And while neither can compare to Rodri defensively, Kovacic ended up being the game's key player.

His first goal gave City a way back into the game - especially when it looked as if Fulham could score more - and his second to give them the lead came while fans were still making their way back from half-time refreshments.

Nearly everyone in the ground thought the game was won when substitute Doku struck a fantastic third from the edge of the box.

Kovacic's goals are nice but they lack that stable base without Rodri, and were left hanging on in injury time after Muniz struck.

This game has equalled the longest unbeaten run in their league history - 30 matches, level with their run from April 2017 to January 2018.

Fulham rue missed chances

City boss Guardiola was full of praise for opposite number Marco Silva and the outstanding job he has done at Fulham before the game.

But Fulham traditionally struggle in this fixture. In fact they had lost their last 16 - now 17 - meetings with City, the longest losing run one English league side has ever had against another.

However the Cottagers caused City more problems than some of the world's best teams manage at Etihad Stadium.

Their opening goal was outstanding, with Jimenez's sensational backheel enabling former Manchester United player Pereira to score.

Traore's lack of end product probably cost him a career at the very top level with Barcelona - and this would have been a different game had he managed to take his chances.

Two one-on-ones ended up going straight to Ederson, and the other big chance was one he spooned over the bar from about 10 yards.

Fulham remain sixth in the table following only their second defeat of the season - and Silva will have seen plenty of reasons to be confident here.

Arsenal beats Southampton

Arsenal came from behind to maintain their unbeaten start to the season against winless Southampton at Emirates Stadium.

Two goals in 10 second-half minutes from Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli ensured the Gunners made a full recovery after being stunned by Cameron Archer's opener for the visitors, before Bukayo Saka confirmed the three points late on.

It meant Arsenal became only the second club in Premier League history to record 400 home wins, and they remain within one point of Premier League pace-setters Liverpool before the international break.

Southampton, who still only have one point after seven games, had struggled amid incessant Arsenal pressure from the outset but, albeit at times unconvincingly, the visitors successfully held out until half-time.

Saints took an unexpected lead 10 minutes after the restart, Archer providing a neat finish on the counter attack after Raheem Sterling, making his first league start for the Gunners, was dispossessed by Mateus Fernandes.

That only served to spark Arsenal into life, however, and the hosts responded just three minutes later when Havertz curved an excellent finish in off the post, before Martinelli timed his run perfectly to meet Saka's cross at the back post.

With Arsenal unable to put the game out of reach, Southampton produced a spirited response but were twice denied by the woodwork when Dibling's effort deflected on to the post and Adam Armstrong hit the crossbar from the resulting corner.

But Saka, provider of his side's first two goals, scored the third in the closing stages with a clinical finish, as Arsenal extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to 16 matches.

Saka stars in Arsenal fightback

Arsenal required a dramatic late show to rescue three points against Leicester last weekend and, for a long period, their latest meeting with one of the promoted clubs again threatened to prove complicated.

It took Southampton's opener to animate Arsenal, until then bordering on complacent in their dominance and infuriatingly wasteful in pursuit of a breakthrough.

But the response is what will matter most to Arteta, enjoying his longest unbeaten streak as Arsenal boss, with five wins from seven - along with two draws achieved with 10 men - representing a very promising start to their latest Premier League title challenge.

Saka once again proved invaluable to the Gunners' cause, with his involvement in all three goals taking his tally to three goals and seven assists after 10 games in all competitions this season.

The England international kick-started the comeback by dispossessing Flynn Downes and teeing up Havertz, then lofting a wonderful cross to Martinelli before getting the goal his performance deserved.

With his equaliser, Havertz became the first Arsenal player to score in seven consecutive home appearances in all competitions since Robin van Persie in March 2012, as he continues to flourish as the Gunners' frontman.

It appeared set to be a long afternoon for Southampton as they weathered wave after wave of Arsenal attacks in the early stages, but Russell Martin's side grew in belief as they restricted Arsenal to just one first-half shot on target.

That saw Thomas Partey, deployed at right-back in the absence of the injured Jurrien Timber, denied by former Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale before Jan Bednarek denied Sterling on the rebound.

But Saints' joy was short-lived following Archer's shock opener and the visitors were ultimately overrun in the closing stages, following a triple change by Arteta which saw Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and summer signing Mikel Merino inject much-needed energy.

Despite positives for Martin to take, not least their resilience, they have now matched their worst ever top-flight run, going a 20th match without a win for the first time since 1969.