Scott Parker’s lucky grey blazer was not enough to beat Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City but his confident Fulham side must regroup for the final nine games if they want to save themselves from the drop
- Scott Parker’s Fulham were comfortably beaten 3-0 by Fulham on Saturday
- Goals from John Stones, Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero gave City the victory
- Parker’s side are still in the relegation zone with nine league games left to play
- The Cottagers must regroup quickly in order to stay confident for the run-in
Scott Parker pulled on the same pale grey blazer just in case the secret lie somewhere within its quilted panels.
He had worn it when his team produced the historic win at Liverpool on their previous outing but three Manchester City goals in 13 second-half minutes soon decoded the enigma of this new line in survival gear.
Not that Parker should sack the tailor. City can, of course, do this to any team when they fall into their groove.
Scott Parker wore the same pale grey blazer but his Fulham side were still beaten by Man City
Three second-half goals gave Pep Guardiola’s side all three points in west London on Saturday
Fulham’s confidence was high and with good reason. They have made great progress in recent weeks and Parker’s next challenge is to draw on their spirit to ensure this bruising defeat does not have a lasting impact.
His team have made up ground and have Brighton and Newcastle in their sights. They cannot afford to relax and feel sorry for themselves.
They face Leeds here on Friday and if they are to escape the drop they must quickly regroup and draw on the things they did well at Anfield and, at times, last night, because they opened with energy and purpose before being overwhelmed.
Fulham remain in the top-flight’s relegation zone with nine Premier League games remaining
Parker, like some of his players, is finding his feet at this level. He stepped into the role as they slid out of the Premier League two years ago and won promotion in his first full season.
It has been a difficult campaign in many ways but he communicates well in public, connects to a fan-base unable to attend games and clearly gets his messages through to his players.
Under his leadership, they have generated a style and recaptured the Fulham identity lost when he took the reins from Claudio Ranieri. He has added humility and quiet resilience, hallmarks of his own playing career.
John Stones gave Manchester City an early second-half lead by netting from a free-kick
Gabriel Jesus scored later on before Sergio Aguero’s penalty put the game beyond Fulham
They have not scored enough goals and, ultimately, they could not keep City at bay. Areola made fine saves until resistance was broken by John Stones and the lead extended by Gabriel Jesus and a penalty from Sergio Aguero.
As Pep Guardiola sails on towards another title, Parker has to transform this painful reality check into some form motivation in the weeks ahead.
It may not be enough. Like the new Riverside Stand rising into the sky at their home by the Thames, Fulham are still under construction.
But they are taking shape, full of promise and have made progress from a standing start after promotion via the play-offs, and they will not go down without a fight.