After being promoted from the Championship as champions, Fulham currently sit seventh in the table and are unbeaten in their last four games.
The Cottagers gave City a scare in the FA Cup fourth round in February when they took an early lead at the Etihad before we ran out convincing 4-1 winners.
The boss also warned about the danger posed by Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic who has nine Premier League goals already this season and only sits behind Erling Haaland and Tottenham’s Harry Kane at the top of the goalscoring charts.
“I’m not surprised at all [that Fulham are seventh],” Guardiola said in his pre-match press conference.
“You have to see what they did in the Championship, what they did in the transfer window and the manager is exceptional.
“With Marco (Silva) last season in the FA Cup - I know exactly how we suffered. They have a good process and when they are under pressure, they can use the long balls with Mitrovic who can win them and the second balls.
They’re a good team, it’s not a surprise. They started well drawing against Liverpool and have continued in that way.”
Saturday’s game will be followed by the Carabao Cup clash with Chelsea and the Premier League game against Brentford before the top flight shuts down for six weeks for the World Cup.
Guardiola says he is still to decide about a potential return for Haaland who has been absent with a foot injury since coming off at the break against Borussia Dortmund last month and missed the games against Leicester and Sevilla.
While Haaland will not be at the World Cup in Qatar after Norway missed out on qualification, a number of players at clubs across Europe have suffered injury setbacks in the build-up to the tournament.
City will have plenty of our squad at the tournament and Guardiola says he has seen no let-up in the players’ commitment despite the risk of injury.
“I want to be honest, seeing how our players behave in every single game - how they run, how they compete in duels and everything, I’m not concerned at all what will happen in these last six or seven days together,” he said.
“Next Saturday they will start their World Cup preparations and holidays for the rest of the people.
“What I saw so far, everyone is committed to what we have to do.”
