Pre match news:
Michael Ball comes back in for Javi Garrido, who has an Achilles problem, while in the other full back position Pablo Zabaleta replaces the injured Micah Richards. Vincent Kompany goes back into midfield, but there’s no Robinho. An Achilles problem also prevents Danny Sturridge from taking a place on the bench.
The Match
City blew the cobwebs of an early start away after just six minutes when they took the lead through a well-worked goal. Zabaleta’s fine cross from right on the touch line looped over to Benjani, who rose above & between the flat-footed home central defence to nod the ball home right in front of City’s fans. It was the affable Zimbabwean’s first league goal of the season and was celebrated, as ever, with his trademark ‘you’re my friends’ finger-pointing!
Another cross a minute later had Schwarzer punching the ball straight to Ireland, whose shot rolled slowly wide of his right post. Brave work by Hart on 12 minutes kept the score at 1-0 to City, the keeper diving at Johnson’s feet after a smart dummy by Zamora had foxed the defence.
Fulham were screaming for a penalty on 22 minutes when the ball struck Dunne on the hand, but at the corner which was given Johnson caused problems, the ball going wide after a melee at the near post.
But the hosts drew level on 27 minutes, Zamora passing back inside to Jimmy Bullard, who strode into the box and drove the ball in across Hart from a tight angle.
Vassell did well to bring a long pass from Dunne down with his chest, his subsequent volley on the turn going straight at Schwarzer. A good move down the right by Fulham ended with Johnson laying it off to Dempsey, who should have done better with his shot, which rolled a yard wide of the left hand post. The same pair combined again on 39 minutes, the American striker’s diving header going just over the crossbar.
Benjani was inches from getting his second four minutes to the break, his shot on the spin from outside the box at the end of a patient move just scraping past Schwarzer’s right post.
Bobby Zamora wasted a golden opportunity at the start of the second half, slipping as he took a shot and spooning the ball a long way over. The former West Ham man nearly redeemed himself a minute later, finding himself in acres of space and placing his shot inches wide of Hart’s left post.
The hosts had their keeper to thank for the score staying the same on 54 minutes, Schwarzer making a fine save low to his right to deny Pablo Zabaleta, the Argentinean having broken into the box and driven the ball for the far bottom corner. The right-back was a consistent threat down the right flank, and a corner he won just after the hour saw Ben Haim drive a shot a couple of yards over from long range.
Bullard’s free kick from over 30 yards out midway through the second half drew a marvellous one-handed save out of Joe Hart. At the resulting corner Zamora stabbed the ball goalwards from close range – but Michael Ball, at the right hand post, cleared it off the line. Bullard could not repeat the trick at another free kick on 75 minutes, but the incident leading to it saw Stephen Ireland booked, and in the process he reached four league bookings for the season so far.
We went close twice in quick succession with six minutes left, Zabaleta driving the ball straight at Schwarzer, who had to be alert just seconds later when Ball tried to curl it in at the near post.
A flurry of corners as we entered stoppage time, following claims for a penalty against Dunne for handball, came to nothing, and a break for Ireland ended with Bullard hauling him back, the dynamic midfielder rightly seeing yellow.
Rob Styles blew for full time after two minutes of injury time, and City left west London with a useful point although more fine work from Hart had helped ensure a share of the spoils.
