Manchester

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, speaking to Match of the Day: "I am really pleased about the way we behaved. It is a tough place to come. We did really, really well.

"John Stones was amazing. Phil Foden is playing the best football I have seen from him. Everyone made a contribution and I am really pleased.

"They had seven days to prepare for this game but we had three. There are teams who play with less recovery than the other one in the Premier League.

"We played fantastic game in the first half and should have scored more. In general it was unbelievable the way we defended because we needed it. When you don't have recovery and the players are tired, you cannot expect to be perfect because they are human beings.

"Every three days for years, not just this season, years. It is difficult but they are still winning. My admiration to all the players is unbelievable.

"I would love to win three or four. It is what it is."

Image source, Getty Images

They say the hallmark of champions is to win 'ugly' - and Manchester City have done so twice in the space of five days to keep the pressure on Liverpool at the top of the Premier League.

Pep Guardiola's team dominated the first half after taking the lead through Phil Foden's 16th goal of the season, but they rode their luck in the second as Bournemouth pushed for an equaliser.

However, a combination of wasteful finishing and smart goalkeeping by Ederson helped City over the line and close to within a point of Jurgen Klopp's team at the summit.

It would have been a more comfortable evening for City had Erling Haaland been wearing his shooting boots. The Norwegian shot wide in the first half before being denied by Neto in the second - although he did play a key role in Foden's effort.

John Stones was outstanding in the first half in particular, repeatedly marauding upfield from a more advanced position and almost setting up Rodri not long after Foden's opener.

But there is certainly plenty of room for improvement for Guardiola's charges, whose next five league matches - all against teams currently in the top seven - will go a long way to defining their campaign.

• Since Manchester City’s last defeat against Aston Villa in December, they have won more league matches (9) and earned more points (29) than any other side in the Premier League.

• Bournemouth have never won a league game against Manchester City in 20 attempts (D2 L18), losing all 14 in the Premier League. This is both the most a side has faced another without winning in Football League history, and most a side has faced another without ever avoiding defeat in Premier League history.

• In all competitions, Manchester City have won more away games this season (14) than they did in the entirety of their treble-winning campaign last season (13).

• Bournemouth are winless in seven Premier League games (D3 L4), having won six of their previous seven beforehand (D1).

• Phil Foden has scored 16 goals for Manchester City in all competitions this season, his joint-most in a single campaign, along with 2020-21. He now has six goal involvements in five Premier League appearances against Bournemouth (4 goals, 2 assists), only recording more against Brighton (7).

• As well as scoring the game’s only goal, no player created more chances (4), had more shots (4), or won possession more times (9) than Foden in this match. Today was only the second time he's created four or more chances and attempted 4 or more shots in a single Premier League away game in his career (also v Newcastle in January 2024).

Manchester City moved a point behind Premier League leaders Liverpool with a hard-fought victory over Bournemouth at Vitality Stadium.

City started slowly but took the lead midway through the first half when Phil Foden steered home after Erling Haaland's shot was saved by Neto.

The visitors dominated the rest of the half but were fortunate not to be pegged back early in the second, Marcus Tavernier scuffing a shot into the ground from Antoine Semenyo's cross before shooting wide after fine work from Dominic Solanke.

Solanke had a header punched off the line by Ederson as Bournemouth continued to apply pressure, while Haaland had another shot saved by Neto with a quarter of an hour remaining.

Second-half substitute Enes Unal headed agonisingly wide in stoppage time for the hosts, as City held on to consolidate second place ahead of crucial games at home to Manchester United and away to Liverpool in early March.

Bournemouth, now without a win in their last seven league matches, stay eight points above the relegation zone but drop a place to 14th.

Were you at the match or did you follow it from home?

Bournemouth fans - let us know your thoughts on the game here

How did you rate the side's performance, City fans?

Follow all of the reaction here

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, speaking to BBC Sport, on how a mistake allowed Fulham to score their winner: "It was a throw-in [for Fulham] in the corner, we had them under pressure and we have one player in the wrong position.

"As a team we should manage that and make sure everyone is in the right position. We let them escape and it is avoidable.

"The team showed big character to fight back, we deserved the equaliser and went for the win - we showed big personality and character. It was that mistake. Before that we went for the win and we should have taken our opportunities.

On whether the game was too open: "We struggled with their influence and their impact on our left side. But we reacted well and how to deal with it, how to step up from the back and once we had that we got more from the game and took control to create the chances.

On the impact of injuries to Luke Shaw and Rasmus Hojlund: "With the squad we had today we should have won this game. Both halves were slow starts and we should be ready from the first whistle.

"That's a point of criticism but the team showed big character in both halves."

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire on how his team were affected by Rasmus Hojlund's absence: "We got hit by the injury to Rasmus, who has been big focal point for us but it is up to us to find the solutions and the areas we need to improve on.

"He has been our focal point, we can play into him, he holds it up, he starts the press really well, not only that but Marcus has been playing really well on the left.

"It's the story of our season, we've been injury hit - as other teams have - and we need to find a solution quick."

On equalising then conceding again: "To be a goal behind, I thought our reaction was brilliant especially in the last 30 minutes and when we equalised probably only one team going to win it.

"We were probably naive in the end by throwing too many bodies forward and getting done on the counter attack.

"We've been on a good run of form and came into the game we were confident."

Image source, Getty Images

Amongst many things Sir Jim Ratcliffe said in his various media engagements this week, one point he kept stressing was how important Champions League qualification is to United.

It is possible, at this stage probable, England will have five representatives in next season's expanded, more lucrative, 36-team competition.

After four successive wins, the situation was looking good. It is a measure of United's fragility that one injury to in-form Rasmus Hojlund and all the old failings showed up again.

United go to City for next Sunday's Manchester derby without the Dane and could be a long way adrift of their target by the time proceedings at the Etihad Stadium are over.

The reality is United do not have enough good players to be certain of being one of the best five teams in England. On their day, they can give decent teams a decent game. But on others, they falter badly.

Today was one of the latter. Many more of them and Ratcliffe will miss his first major target as United co-owner.

• Alex Iwobi’s winner for Fulham at 96 minutes and four seconds is the second latest winning goal ever scored against Manchester United in the Premier League, and the latest goal on record (since 2006-07) scored by the visiting team at Old Trafford in the competition.

• It was Fulham’s latest winning goal on record in the Premier League (since 2006-07). Iwobi now has four Premier League goals this season, his most in a single campaign.

• Fulham earned their first away win against Manchester United in all competitions since October 2003, ending a run of 16 visits without a win (D2 L14).

• Manchester United have now lost eight home games in all competitions this season – it’s their most since 2020-21 (also 8) - they last lost more in a single campaign in 1973-74 (9).

• Calvin Bassey’s opener was his first ever goal for Fulham, and his first goal in club football since October 2022 for Ajax against FC Volendam.

• Andreas Pereira created five chances in this match, the most by a Fulham player away against Manchester United in the Premier League since Luis Boa Morte in August 2006 (also 5).

Manchester United were given a harsh reality check at Old Trafford as Alex Iwobi's injury-time effort gave Fulham only their second Old Trafford victory since 1963.

Four days after new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe spoke of United attempting to knock Manchester City and Liverpool off their perch at the top of the English game, they suffered a major blow to their hopes of Champions League qualification.

Without injured striker Rasmus Hojlund, the hosts were ineffective in attack until the final minute of normal time, when Harry Maguire seemed to have rescued a point for the hosts.

But Iwobi had the final say deep into nine minutes of stoppage time, restoring an advantage initially given to them by Nigeria defender Calvin Bassey, who lashed home the loose ball after his header from a Fulham corner had been blocked by team-mate Timothy Castagne.

Were you at the match or did you follow it from home?

Man Utd fans - let us know your thoughts on the game here

How did you rate the side's performance, Fulham fans?

Follow all of the reaction here