Pep Guardiola joked about his age and that his players 'don't respect me' after Manchester City survived a late Fulham comeback to win 5-4 at Craven Cottage on Tuesday night.
City appeared in complete command during the fixture, only for Fulham to mount a furious late charge that left Guardiola pacing the touchline as his defence clung on.
Erling Haaland opened the scoring before Tijjani Reijnders added a second, and Phil Foden’s precise finish cancelled out Emile Smith Rowe’s earlier strike for Fulham.
When Foden struck again shortly after the restart and a Jeremy Doku effort ricocheted into the net off Sander Berge for an own goal, City looked out of sight.
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But Marco Silva’s side refused to give in. Alex Iwobi pulled one back, then Samuel Chukwueze scored twice in the closing stages to haul Fulham within touching distance of an improbable equaliser.
City ultimately held firm to close the gap on league leaders Arsenal to two points, though Mikel Arteta’s side still have a match in hand.
Guardiola, reflecting on the chaotic contest in the capital, responded in typically theatrical fashion.
Pep Guardiola joked about his age and that his players 'don't respect me' after Manchester City survived a late Fulham comeback to win 5-4 at Craven Cottage on Tuesday night
|PA/REUTERS
“I’m so old, and the players don’t respect me!” he quipped.
“They don’t have to treat their manager in that way. It only happens in this league.
"We played a fantastic game… Listen, there were some really positive things in what we have done. To come here, to score five goals, and the way we played in that first half.
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Five things to know about Man City boss Pep Guardiola | PA/GETTY"In the end, it was a question of character, resilience and defence. They did what they had to do.”
Asked whether he had grown concerned as Fulham surged forward with momentum swinging violently, he offered a candid admission.
“Of course, I was concerned. But this will help us in future games," he said. "Every game is a new team for some players. You have to make a process to start to correct.”
Silva, meanwhile, was quick to praise his team’s response in adversity.
“If you talk about character, of course what they showed was impressive,” he said.
“Normally if you’re losing with a heavy score, home or away, against a side like City, many things can come in the mind.
Erling Haaland reached a century of Premier League goals for Man City in their 5-4 win over Fulham
|REUTERS
"After the fifth City goal, you want to react but can be thinking the damage is there and it’s better not to take risks and make things worse. The reaction was unbelievable from the boys, the fans too, and from it we probably deserved the fifth goal.”
On a night full of drama, Haaland also reached a personal milestone, becoming the fastest player to 100 Premier League goals.
The Norwegian forward described the contest as “a crazy game,” adding: “If you're sitting at home now you enjoyed that game.
"It was a crazy game, nine goals is a lot. In the end, we win and we’re happy but it’s not the best win.”
On reaching a century of league goals, he added: "It’s huge and I’m really proud. Of course it’s a massive thing, 100 club is a nice thing to be in and I’m happy.
"I try to help the team scoring goals, that’s my job.”