Man City 4 - 0 Fulham | Manchester City defeated Fulham to take a two-point lead over Arsenal in the Premier League title chase

As Manchester City defeated Fulham to go two points clear of the Premier League, Josko Gvardiol scored twice to put pressure on Arsenal in the fight for the championship.

The visitors took the lead early on in a match they controlled from beginning to end when defender Gvardiol scored a cool goal after a clever play exposed the Fulham defense.

After the break, Phil Foden maintained his stellar form from this season by finishing second, beating Bernd Leno for the first time.

Midway through the second half, Erling Haaland had a chance to add a third goal, but the Premier League's top scorer managed to drive high over the net.

Gvardiol's goal at the far post put Manchester City ahead against Fulham, but they had to wait little longer for another one.

In stoppage time, Issa Diop was given a second yellow card for bringing down Julain Alvarez inside the area. The Manchester City substitute subsequently scored the penalty.

Due to the outcome, the Gunners must win their match against Manchester United on Sunday in order to guarantee that they will lead the title fight into the final day of the campaign.

Tuesday's match between Manchester City and Tottenham will determine Guardiola's team's fourth consecutive Premier League title if Arsenal does not win at Old Trafford.

In the end, Manchester City won quite easily since Arsenal gave up during the pivotal moments of the previous season's championship competition.

However, Mikel Arteta's team has pushed them harder this time, and Guardiola emphasized earlier this week that they could not afford to make mistakes in their quest for yet another league title.

A mistake always seemed impossible at Craven Cottage, especially with an incredible run of 15 consecutive victories against the Cottagers and a Fulham team with nothing to lose.

And so it proved as they dominated throughout to make it seven successive wins in the Premier League, scoring four goals or more in six of those victories.

Arsenal is still very much in the running for the title, and a victory over Manchester United on Sunday would put further pressure on City. However, the way this easy victory was achieved suggests that Guardiola's team is not displaying any signs of nervousness in crucial situations.

It was always going to be tough for Fulham to duplicate last season's top-10 finish against a Manchester City team vying for the championship, but a victory was necessary to maintain optimism.

The visitors were well in charge after Gvardiol's goal, despite City's early struggles to get a touch of the ball. The hosts did have an energetic start.

Rodrigo Muniz's flicked effort deflected into the far corner before Ederson could rush over, giving Fulham's defense a scare in the second half, but other than that, they were essentially helpless.

Although relegation has never been a worry, Marco Silva's team has had a dismal season, winning just one of their last eight Premier League games.