Erling Haaland became the fastest player to reach 100 goals in Premier League history on a night when Manchester City mounted pressure on Arsenal by fending off Fulham’s impressive fightback.
Haaland got his landmark goal in the 17th minute of Tuesday’s game at Craven Cottage, firing in first time from Jeremy Doku’s cross.
It meant he completed the century in 111 league games, 13 fewer than the previous record holder, Alan Shearer.
The goal also broke Haaland’s brief drought of three games without scoring. This was his 15th goal in 14 league games this season, but it was only a preview of what was to come.
Haaland provided the assist for Manchester City’s second goal, slipping the ball through for Tijjani Reijnders to coolly loft it over Bernd Leno and into the net.
Leeds battled back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 against Pep Guardiola’s side at the weekend until Phil Foden scored a late winner, and the in-form forward must have felt he had ruled out a repetition when he scored City’s third goal.
Emile Smith delivered a great header. Rowe gave Fulham some hope at 3-1 down, but Foden scored his fourth goal in two games shortly after the break, firing home at the near post from Haaland’s pass.
Doku’s shot then deflected in off Sander Berge, giving City a seemingly insurmountable 5-1 lead.
But Fulham refused to give up, and Alex Iwobi curled in their second from 20 yards, signaling a continued threat to City, before substitute Samuel Chukwueze had the home side dreaming of an extraordinary recovery.
He started by driving in from across and then finished neatly six minutes later.
Fulham had momentum as home fans shouted them on, while City fans watched uncomfortably from the away end, and Josh King had a shot blocked off the line in the last seconds.
However, City held on to seal a win, putting them just two points behind Arsenal, despite having played one more game, with the Gunners visiting Brentford on Wednesday.
Fulham, however, sit six points above the relegation zone but have played one more game than the teams below them.
