“It’s Just Survival” – Guardiola Baffled After City’s Wild 5-4 Escape
Pep Guardiola admitted he had “no answer” for Manchester City’s late-game collapse after nearly squandering a four-goal cushion in a chaotic 5–4 win at Fulham. The City manager called the final minutes “a matter of survival,” as his side staggered over the line in one of the Premier League’s most frantic matches of the season.
City’s victory was supposed to be routine. Erling Haaland had just become the fastest player in Premier League history to score 100 goals, reaching the landmark in an astonishing 111 matches. At 5–1 up shortly after halftime, the champions looked set for a serene afternoon, one that would keep them within touching distance of league leaders Arsenal.
Instead, the match spiraled into mayhem. Fulham, who had trailed by four, roared back with three goals in 14 minutes, turning a comfortable City lead into an anxious scramble. For a side chasing a fourth straight league title, the late defensive unraveling raised uncomfortable questions.
Guardiola, visibly drained afterward, could only shake his head when asked how the game became so unhinged.
“Did you enjoy that, guys? Me? Impossible,” he joked wearily. “I know you’re going to ask what happened, and I don’t have an answer.”
The Catalan pointed to the Premier League’s inherent volatility rather than any tactical flaw. “It’s the Premier League, you can’t control it… When that happens, it’s just survival. Don’t tell me how—the players don’t know either. At the end we take it.”
His frustration was understandable. City had showcased their attacking brilliance Phil Foden continued his blistering form, Tijjani Reijnders added a composed finish, and Jeremy Doku benefited from a fortunate deflection—but defensive lapses left the reigning champions exposed.
After Smith Rowe clawed one back before halftime, City restored control through Doku’s looping strike. At 5–1, the contest appeared settled.
But Fulham suddenly ignited. Alex Iwobi curled in from a distance. Samuel Chukwueze, introduced from the bench, struck twice in six breathless minutes—his second effort rocketing beyond Gianluigi Donnarumma as Craven Cottage erupted. With 12 minutes plus stoppage time remaining, the match had flipped into survival mode for City.
Fulham even came within inches of completing the comeback of the season. Substitute Josh King’s late strike beat Donnarumma, only for Joško Gvardiol to sprint back and hook it off the line, preserving City’s narrow win.
Marco Silva praised his side’s courage. “The reaction from the boys was unbelievable… we probably deserved a fifth goal to equalize,” he said, pointing to Fulham’s refusal to collapse after falling behind heavily.
For City, the defensive meltdown will reignite concerns that have simmered throughout their title defense. These near-capitulations are not typical of Guardiola’s machine-like teams of previous years. With Arsenal two points clear and showing “so strong and so solid,” as Guardiola admitted, the margin for error is shrinking.
The deeper worry? City’s unpredictability now cuts both ways. While their attack remains lethal—Haaland’s milestone is evidence enough—the defensive inconsistencies make each match feel combustible. Can a side with titled ambitions afford to turn routine victories into survival missions?
Guardiola insisted he knows “what we have to do” to remain in the race. But this performance, thrilling as it was for neutrals, added weight to the argument that City looks more fragile than they have in years.
City escaped with three points, but the questions linger. Is this the stumble before the surge or a sign of cracks forming at the worst possible time?
With Arsenal ahead and fixtures piling up, Guardiola’s team may need more than survival instincts if they plan to chase down another Premier League crown.