Manchester City survived a wild night by the Thames as Erling Haaland etched his name into Premier League history and still found himself dragged into a breathless scrap by a Fulham side who refused to lie down.
The Norwegian giant needed only seventeen minutes at Craven Cottage to hit his milestone moment. Jeremy Doku darted down the flank and whipped in a teasing ball. Haaland met it first time with the confidence of a man born to break records. Goal number one hundred in just one hundred and eleven league appearances. Faster than Alan Shearer. Faster than anyone.
It also snapped a rare quiet spell for the City striker who had gone three matches without scoring. That tiny stumble was forgotten the moment the net bulged and from there he bossed the night.
City’s second came when Haaland dropped deep and threaded a pass that sliced Fulham open. Tijjani Reijnders raced through and lifted a lovely finish over Bernd Leno. The travelling fans were bouncing and it felt like the champions were ready to stroll through another evening.
Only last weekend City nearly made a mess of a two goal lead at Leeds before Phil Foden rescued them. The England forward clearly did not want any repeat of that drama. When the ball fell to him in a crowded box he shifted his weight and drilled in City’s third with ruthless precision.
But Craven Cottage turned defiant. Emile Smith Rowe rose above everyone to thump a brilliant header past Ederson and the home crowd found their voice again. It lasted briefly. Haaland fed Foden near the post and the midfielder fired in his fourth goal in two matches with the coolness of a man in the form of his life.
At 4 1 it looked done. When Doku let fly moments later and his effort clipped Sander Berge and wrong footed Leno for a fifth the home faithful could only sigh.
Yet Fulham’s spirit never wavered. Alex Iwobi curled in a beauty from the edge of the box and suddenly the energy around the ground shifted. Substitute Samuel Chukwueze then turned the night on its head. First he smashed in from close range then he produced a composed finish to drag Fulham to 5 3 and set nerves jangling in the away end.
City were rattled and Fulham poured forward in waves. In the final seconds Josh King almost completed the miracle only to see his shot hacked off the line.
Pep Guardiola’s men breathed again as the whistle blew. They haul themselves to within two points of Arsenal who face Brentford on Wednesday although the champions have played one more match.
Fulham stay clear of the drop by six points but they know those below them still have games in hand. What they do have is belief after giving City a scare they will not forget.