Fulham – Manchester City

Manchester City will exchange goals with their rivals

Manchester City have seven games left to play before the end of the current Premier League season and are in second place in the standings. The only other sign is that Pep Guardiola's side have done what they need to do to defend their league title. Arsenal are two points ahead of the Mancunian club, but have two more matches played. Given Manchester City's strong run of form and the result of their head-to-head encounter with their rival in the last round, the Citizens' position seems to have no alternative to being champions. In the past five seasons, Fulham have been relegated from the Premier League and then promoted to the Championship. The 'lift team' status has bored the management and supporters of the club, so this year, the Cottagers have made a lot more effort to keep their place in the elite English division. Both last season's Champions League win and this season's success came under the leadership of Marco Silva. Fulham currently sit in tenth place with no chance of competing for European places and no risk of relegation. The bookmakers have identified the visitors as the clear favourites, offering odds of 1.23 to win. The lack of clear tournament motivation does not mean that Fulham will not give their best effort in Sunday's encounter. For a club that stomped the fields of Championship last season, indirectly influencing the distribution of places at the top of the standings and asserting themselves by beating the champion is brilliant motivation. All the more so, the Cottagers have already emerged from a crisis that saw them suffer a series of defeats from early March to early April. Fulham defeated Everton and Leeds in the previous rounds, and a defeat in Birmingham at Premier League level is not considered something of a shame these days. There, for example, Newcastle had been defeated there ten days earlier. Manchester City have been on top form in the last couple of months. Guardiola's side have reached the Champions League semi-finals, and the FA Cup final and have moved closer to the top of the Premier League table as clear favourites to win the title. In the upcoming meeting, the hosts are sure to fight with their opponents for a result that will culminate in an exchange of goals.