“I think that run will end here” - Chris Sutton predicts result of Manchester City vs Fulham

Former Chelsea striker Chris Sutton believes there will be no upset when Manchester City take on Fulham on Saturday, October 5, at the Etihad. Marco Silva's side have been quietly impressive this season, winning three of their six games so far.

The Cottagers are sixth in the Premier League at the moment, while their opponents this weekend are second. The Cityzens have four wins and two draws from their games so far and are second in the league table, a point behind leaders Liverpool after six games.

Pep Guardiola's team suffered a blow last month following Rodri's ACL injury. However, with Ilkay Gundogan back in the fold and Erling Haaland also in the mix, it would be foolish to expect Manchester City to slow down.

In his column for The BBC, Sutton backed the reigning champions to secure a 3-0 win over Fulham.

"I’ve got Fulham wrong a few times this season by underestimating them... I am still not going to back them to get anything at Etihad Stadium though. Manchester City were not quite at it against Newcastle last weekend, whether that was down to Rodri’s absence or not, and they will have to do better this time - which is what I am expecting to happen," wrote Sutton.

He continued:

"Fulham have got a nice balance to them, but can they keep City out? They lost this fixture 5-1 last season with Erling Haaland scoring a hat-trick and, while they might suffer less damage this time, I can still only see one outcome."

He concluded:

"The big question for me is whether City keep a clean sheet. They have conceded in their past five league games, but based on the law of averages - so nothing scientific - I think that run will end here. Sutton's prediction: 3-0."

Haaland has already scored 11 goals from nine games across competitions this season.

Will Manchester City miss Rodri this season?

Last season, Rodri appeared 50 times for Manchester City across competitions, all of which were starts. The 28-year-old was key to the Cityzens' Premier League triumph.

Over the summer, Rodri guided Spain to the Euro 2024 title and is now one of the favorites to win the Ballon d'Or alongside Vinicius Junior. Unfortunately, the Spanish midfielder picked up an ACL injury in the Premier League game against Arsenal last month and could be sidelined for the rest of the season.

Rodri is an indispensable part of Pep Guardiola's setup at the Etihad, and it is certain that he will be a big miss. His absence was already felt against Newcastle United last weekend, when the reigning champions were held to a 1-1 draw.

Manchester City could opt to bring in a replacement when the transfer window reopens in January. Altenatively, Guardiola could turn to Mateo Kovacic to carry out that role until Rodri returns to full fitness.