EPL · Game Review

EPL game reviews – 2025-12-03

Premier League Goal Fest: Overview of Today’s Action

Punters who backed goals in today’s Premier League clash between Manchester City and Fulham were well and truly rewarded. The only game on the slate turned into a nine-goal thriller, with City edging a wild contest 5–4 away from home.

The score_records data paints a clear picture: this was end-to-end football, packed with big attacking performances, defensive wobbles, and plenty of twist-and-turn moments. From hatfuls of shots to multiple goal involvements for the star names, it’s the sort of match that keeps both fans and live bettors glued to the screen.

Below is a deep dive into how the game played out, which players drove the result, and which stats really mattered if you were following markets like goalscorers, shots, or corners.

Manchester City vs Fulham: City Edge 5–4 Classic at Craven Cottage

According to the official scoring records, Manchester City claimed a 5–4 victory over Fulham in a match that was anything but routine. Fulham, listed as the home side in the data, pushed City all the way, and neutral fans would’ve been delighted with the constant stream of chances at both ends.

Final Score and Goal Breakdown

The full-time “standard” metric shows:

  • Fulham (home): 4 goals
  • Manchester City (away): 5 goals

The half-time splits back up just how topsy-turvy it all was:

  • 1st half – Fulham 1, City 3
  • 2nd half – Fulham 3, City 2

City did the early damage, going into the break 3–1 up, but Fulham roared back after half-time, turning the second 45 into a genuine shootout. For anyone on over goals or second-half goal markets, this was basically the dream scenario.

Fulham’s Attack: Smith Rowe and Chukwueze Lead the Charge

Fulham’s four goals were spread across a handful of standout attacking performances, with multiple players putting up strong numbers in the “player goals” and “player shots” metrics.

  • Emile Smith Rowe was arguably Fulham’s key man:
    • 1 goal (player goals, full time: 1)
    • 4 total shots (player shots: 4)
    • 2 shots on target (player shots on target: 2)
    • 1 goal or assist contribution overall (player score or assist: 1)

    For bettors on Smith Rowe to score or to register multiple shots, this performance ticked a lot of boxes. The data shows he was consistently involved, not just popping up for one isolated moment.

  • Samuel Chukwueze put in a huge attacking shift as well:
    • 2 goals (player goals: 2)
    • 3 total shots (player shots: 3)
    • 2 shots on target (player shots on target: 2)
    • 2 goal contributions in total (player score or assist: 2)

    That stat line screams value for anytime goalscorer, brace, or shot-based markets. Two goals from three shots shows how clinical he was in this one.

  • Alex Iwobi chipped in with:
    • 1 goal (player goals: 1)
    • 1 shot (player shots: 1)
    • 1 shot on target (player shots on target: 1)
    • 1 total goal involvement (player score or assist: 1)

    Iwobi’s involvement was efficient rather than high volume, but for punters on an anytime goalscorer angle, he delivered.

  • Harry Wilson showed up as a key creator:
    • 1 assist (player assists: 1)
    • 1 total goal contribution (player score or assist: 1)

    For those who like to back playmakers in assist markets, Wilson’s numbers stand out. He didn’t register shots, but his chance creation made a tangible difference on the scoresheet.

Beyond that core group, the rest of Fulham’s squad listed in the scoring data—players like Ryan Sessegnon, Sander Berge, Saša Lukić, Tom Cairney and others—showed 0 across goals, shots, and assists. From a betting perspective, the attacking load was clearly concentrated on Smith Rowe, Chukwueze, Iwobi, and Wilson.

Manchester City’s Frontline: Foden and Haaland Drive the Win

With five goals to their name, City unsurprisingly had several players posting impressive individual numbers. The scoring and chance creation were driven by the usual suspects, with Phil Foden and Erling Haaland right at the heart of it all.

  • Phil Foden put in a match-winning display:
    • 2 goals (player goals: 2)
    • 2 total shots (player shots: 2)
    • 2 shots on target (player shots on target: 2)
    • 2 total goal contributions (player score or assist: 2)

    Two goals from two shots and both on target is as clinical as it gets. Anyone backing Foden in goals, shots on target, or “to score or assist” markets would have been very happy.

  • Erling Haaland had a busy and productive outing:
    • 1 goal (player goals: 1)
    • 3 assists in total (player assists: 2, plus goal = 3 total contributions)
    • 3 total shots (player shots: 3)
    • 1 shot on target (player shots on target: 1)
    • 3 combined goals or assists (player score or assist: 3)

    Haaland wasn’t just finishing; he was creating. The “player score or assist” metric of 3 highlights how central he was to everything City did going forward. For bettors favouring goal involvement markets rather than just goals, this performance fits perfectly.

  • Tijjani Reijnders added another attacking threat from midfield:
    • 1 goal (player goals: 1)
    • 1 shot (player shots: 1)
    • 1 shot on target (player shots on target: 1)
    • 1 total contribution (player score or assist: 1)

    It’s a clean stat line: one shot, one shot on target, one goal. High conversion, and another nod for anytime goalscorer backers looking beyond the headline names.

  • Jérémy Doku had a quieter game in front of goal but still chipped in:
    • 0 goals (player goals: 0)
    • 1 shot (player shots: 1)
    • 0 shots on target (player shots on target: 0)
    • 1 assist (player assists: 1)
    • 1 total goal involvement (player score or assist: 1)

    While he didn’t score, Doku still justified any assist or “to score or assist” punts, getting on the creative side of City’s five-goal haul.

Around them, a number of City players registered 0 across shots, goals, and assists: Bernardo Silva, Matheus Nunes, Rúben Dias, Joško Gvardiol, Savinho, Rayan Cherki, Nathan Aké, Rico Lewis, and others all appear in the records without direct attacking returns in this match.

Shot and Shot-on-Target Markets: Who Delivered?

For Australian bettors who like to dig into player prop markets, the “player shots” and “player shots on target” metrics are gold. This game threw up several strong trends:

  • Fulham high-volume shooters:
    • Emile Smith Rowe – 4 shots, 2 on target
    • Samuel Chukwueze – 3 shots, 2 on target
    • Alex Iwobi – 1 shot, 1 on target
    • Joshua King – 1 shot, 1 on target

    Smith Rowe and Chukwueze stand out for volume, while Iwobi and King were perfect in terms of shots on target versus total attempts.

  • City’s key shooters:
    • Erling Haaland – 3 shots, 1 on target
    • Phil Foden – 2 shots, 2 on target
    • Tijjani Reijnders – 1 shot, 1 on target
    • Jérémy Doku – 1 shot, 0 on target

    Foden’s efficiency again pops off the page: every shot was on target and resulted in a goal, ideal for shot-on-target lines.

For punters who enjoy combining multi-leg same-game multis with shots and goals, the recorded stats here show just how concentrated the attacking output was around a core group on both sides.

Assist & Goal Involvement Angles

Assist markets are often trickier to call, but the data for this match is clear:

  • Fulham assists:
    • Harry Wilson – 1 assist, 1 goal involvement
    • All other Fulham players – 0 assists
  • Manchester City assists:
    • Erling Haaland – 2 assists, 3 total goal involvements
    • Jérémy Doku – 1 assist
    • All other City players – 0 assists

The “player score or assist” metric provides a neat summary:

  • Fulham:
    • Samuel Chukwueze – 2 goal involvements
    • Emile Smith Rowe – 1
    • Alex Iwobi – 1
    • Harry Wilson – 1
  • Manchester City:
    • Erling Haaland – 3
    • Phil Foden – 2
    • Tijjani Reijnders – 1
    • Jérémy Doku – 1

This kind of breakdown is incredibly useful when you’re trying to spot patterns for future matches: who consistently gets involved in goals, and who’s more peripheral.

Corners: Fulham Outwork City on Set-Piece Volume

The set-piece data is summed up in the “corners” metric, and it shows Fulham actually edged City comfortably here despite losing the match:

  • Full-time corners:
    • Fulham – 7 corners
    • Manchester City – 2 corners
  • 1st half corners:
    • Fulham – 3
    • City – 2
  • 2nd half corners:
    • Fulham – 4
    • City – 0

That’s a key angle for total corner markets and handicap corner lines. Tonight, anyone who trusted Fulham to rack up more corners than City would have landed their bet quite comfortably, especially with the 4–0 corner count after the break.

Defensive & Keeper Stats

The score_records list defensive players and goalkeepers such as Bernd Leno, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Rúben Dias, Joško Gvardiol, Kenny Tete, Calvin Bassey and others. However, in this dataset they have:

  • 0 goals
  • 0 shots and 0 shots on target
  • 0 assists
  • 0 “score or assist” contributions

While that doesn’t tell the full defensive story, it confirms they weren’t directly involved in attacking stats. From a purely betting-focused vantage point, there was no surprise goal from the backline or set-piece header in this particular clash.

Conclusion: What Bettors Can Take From a 9-Goal Thriller

With just the one game on the card, all eyes were on Manchester City vs Fulham, and it didn’t disappoint. A 5–4 away win for City, a 3–1 first half turning into a 3–2 second-half shootout, and a string of big performances from the main attacking names.

From the data:

  • Goal markets were blown apart, with nine goals and multiple scorers on both sides.
  • Player prop backers had plenty to celebrate: Foden, Haaland, Chukwueze, and Smith Rowe all hit strong numbers in goals and shots.
  • Assist and goal involvement angles paid off, especially with Haaland’s three contributions and Wilson, Doku, and Reijnders all on the sheet.
  • Corners went heavily in Fulham’s favour, 7–2 overall, rewarding anyone who took them on corner totals or handicaps.

If you’re betting week in, week out on the Premier League, digging into this kind of match data is crucial. Seeing who consistently racks up shots, who combines goals and assists, and which teams lean on set-pieces can give you a real edge.

Before you have a flutter on the next round, make sure you’re getting the best possible value. Use our odds comparison tool to line up prices from multiple Aussie bookies on markets like:

  • Full-time result
  • Over/under goals
  • Anytime goalscorers
  • Player shots and shots on target
  • Assists and “to score or assist”
  • Total and handicap corners

Don’t just back a hunch at the first price you see. Compare the odds, find the best number for your angle, and squeeze every bit of value out of thrillers like this one.