CONFIDENT City took up where they had left off last season with display of attacking pace and panache that ought to have blown Fulham away.
Yet the old failings in front of goal and some inspired goalkeeping by Edwin van der Saar allowed the visitors to steal a point they didn't deserve.
Much of the Blues play confirmed the promise of free-scoring, free-flowing pre-season through which they sauntered unbeaten.
Robbie Fowler, who suffered plenty of criticism at the hands of his own fans last term, was the man who opened the Premiership account and in doing so proved conclusively that his own pre-season sharpness was no illusion.
City has made, and missed, a handful of opportunities before Danny Mills slung in a long, right flank throw in the 28th minute. Leaping Frenchman Antoine Sibierski added the all-important flick at the near post and the ball dropped invitingly but awkwardly for Fowler to hook home with his right foot.
While Fowler's name went on the score sheet there was no doubt about who was worrying Fulham even more ' one Shaun Wright-Phillips.
It took the youngster, England bound in midweek, just three minutes to display why he is simply priceless to Blues fans.
A sixty-yard run from just in front of his own penalty area ended with three visiting players toiling in his wake and a low cross that skimmed the six-yard line.
Attacking
Other than the goal that was largely the story of the opening quarter of an hour with the Londoners, without a win away to City in 20-years, pinned back in their own half as the Blues discovered their attacking legs very quickly.
Time after time Kevin Keegan's men found space and opportunity down the Fulham left but they couldn't apply the finishing touch with Claudio Reyna and Nicolas Anelka both skidding low crosses beyond the far post when well placed. Tellingly, Wright-Phillips had a foot in both those moves and later brought a smart save out of Van der Saar.
Fulham had contributed nothing in terms of attacking before equalising with a soft effort in the 57th minute converted by Collins John who turned inside Mills to crash home Claus Jensen's cross from the right.
Thereafter normal service was resumed and City continued to dominate with Reyna's long-range effort tipped over by van der Saar and Sylvain Distin's header being pouched by the Fulham keeper in the 66th minute.
The Dutch international keeper produced an even better effort two minutes later when from Reyna's free kick, Sibierski ghosted through at the back post and looked sure to score with a diving header until van der Saar stuck out his left leg.
City's nemesis was at it again in 76th minute when he clutched Jensen's inadvertent deflection from Ben Thatcher's cross and the Blues were left, not for the first time, ruing what might have been.
What did you think of City's first performance of the campaign? Have your say.
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Lots of Draws today so we shouldnt be tough on the team after not winning today.
Im not sure if its the same again as last season ie too many draws or whether we would have lost this one last year and fulham would have nicked another goal?
Or maybe we still have our soft centre and the problem still remains?
Or maybe we just lack the desire and the inspirational leader on the park - to be determind enough to make sure that we do WIN and that we do take 3 points from the game...
Keegans half time team talk today doesnt sound too inspirational!
Maybe its another season of a lot of draws....but its too early to say really, lets hope not
2 difficult away games ahead
Also didnt like Keegans comments on Sky about SWP moving to a bigger club in 4 years when he's ready - but maybe he is just being honest
Well just the same at Manchester City. Can't see them surviving this year, create all the chances and cannot kill them off. I will always support City, but I can't see any difference than last year and Keegan is just the same a poor manager who cannot cope in the highest level. Distin is the culprit, KK makes him Captain and his slack clearance allows Fulham the equaliser. KK's excuses are the same as last year, "very pleased, created the chances, good play" I am bored of hearing that, when is the team going to put those chances away 12 months of excuses is enough!
CTID
Robbie back too his best!!!
Robbie back to his best! He will score 30 goals this season.
Dribble! was there ever a pre-season! no new ideas - folwer hit the target but everyone hits flukes at some point. Othere than that it is same old same old - i think we may survive this season but Norwich and the other promoted teams could prove to be unknown quantities.
Pathetic - the hype we blues put on this site all last week - totally unjustified I might add and making us a laughing stock after our top six predictions last year - and we cant even then beat fulham at home. When will we learn?
We , self proclaimed best supporters and most loyal, didnt even sell out for our first home game either?
Im embarrassed to be Blue, and annoyed at my dad for making me Blue.
mmm!!
No atmosphere hardly again!
Still loads of players not settled!
Still same ol City!
KK - Not being funny - but subbing with just over ten mins to go is a joke!
Whay did you think was going to happen - Maybe score another goal -
Subs should have been done with 25 - 30 Mins to go.
I think your half team talk didnt do it.
Not impressed I must say with Ben Thatcher - maybe nerves, debut blues perhaps, I thought Millsy looked ok - although I must admit he gave me goose pimples sometimes, like when he wanted a fight.
Matter of time before hes suspended.
All in all - I agree with KK, first half should have seen the game off - but it was not to be -
Second half a bismal. Distin not worthy of captaincy, and to be honest he should be dropped from the squad, Richard Dunne was the hero today for me.
Fulham had a crap support -
Some positive football, CITY deserved the Win!
Fulham go home feeling lucky.
Great goal from Growler.
A draw isn't bad to start the season but again we give away the victory after taking the lead. I'm really happy Fowler got on the scoresheet and hopefully he will prove all those wrong that say he isn't worth of a spot in the starting 11. Fowler and Anelka up front sounds like goals goals goals :-D
Defence looked generally stronger for the new additions, despite giving away a soft goal. The problem this season is going to be the midfield, I think. Just not strong enough to win the all important midfield battle. Give the ball away too easily, not enough quality in there to keep the ball long enough to hurt teams. That said, we still had enough chances to win this game, and should have done so comfortably. I hope I'm wrong but I can't see this season being much better than last.
Solid draw to start off with, should've won but we looked good today in the first half today before pressing the self destruct button as usual in the second half. Team looks to be coming together, with more time to get together we will have a strong capable unit that will do well. Im giving everyone a clean slate this season, lets hope Fowler can keep on scoring and the lads can continue to gel so we can turn games like this one into wins. Great news that we've got Shauny a new contract and that hes in the england squad. Decent start, now for the rest, C'MON CITY!
Unbelievable! How do we manage to draw a game we should have won by a country mile. Fulham were so negative it's not true. Yet in the end we had to rely on a superb James save near the end to rescue a point! Yes we created chances and yes we could and should have won and yes van der saar made some fine saves but it was same old same old! Highlights were the storming SWP run from one end to the other early in the game and the great contribution of Robbie Fowler up front who played one of his best games for City and deserved his goal. But you could hardly say we ran riot down the left or the right, for that matter. We struggled to break Fulham down and although we had loads of possession, we played far too much in front of their defence and midfield without getting behind them. And when we got close, we gave the ball away time after time. Sibierski, SWP, Anelka, Reyna all gace the ball away frequently in the last third. Nobody made runs to get behind their back three and no one really tried to get the ball through them anyway which is why we only drew. Apart from the goal, I can't remember a chance on target in the first half. In the second, we created chances but except for the opening spell, we rarely maintained sustained pressure. When we scored, and they then had to puch out a bit, we should have really got at them and behind them but we never looked like it so probably only deserved a point! Van der Saar was excellent and French Tony's shot must have missed by millimetres but if we are serious about winning these games, we have to be more sustained with better moevement in midfield and more support up front with greater variety in the play. No one provided any of this and too often, the chances were created by one player doing something amazing rather than wonderful flowing moves and accurate crosses. Let's face it, Fulham's defence looked like it would crack if we pressured them more. None more so than when one of their defenders panicked and kicked the ball against his own defender and it went out for a corner when it could have gone anywhere! This game reminded me so much of the Birmingham game last season when the former Fulham keeper played a blinder but we didn't quite do enough to get all three points. Let's hope this is not a microcosm of the season on the opening day because we have all seen this team play much better and these games are the ones we need three points from! On the plus front, everybody else drew bar Villa and Bolton so not a disaster and the final verdict would probably be, must do better!
Great goal from Robbie, Great save from James, We played well, defence looked solid, Collins John goal was well taken, Anelka has got to take his chances or its going to be same old story, still not convinced if he's the man for us, results are the answer?
City was goo in the first half, where SWP was fantactic however after the break the same old story of last season come back again. The chances are there but are unable to convert them. It's two ponits lost rather then one point gain. If they continued to failed in front of goal City are to going to struggle again this season. Come on you , City.
Was not at the game but it sounds pretty familiar does COMS make these mediocre outfits think they are playing in a cup final? Perhaps thats why so many teams loose at the abondoned oil rigg (old trafford) who the hell enjoys playing/going there? I think keep going Man City perhaps they can try and work on something at the training ground on breaking down 10 men defences, using SWPs and Elks pace on the fast break please keep making 100% effort this team isnt working together yet but this is only the first game.
Help please? but just a coment
before.Cant beat a weakened
Fulham side?who will they beat
Not a lot! Saw in Bangkok ?? a
City shirt !!!! Wow in 10 years,
first ever here in Asia.Now i
know there is one of you who
lives in Bangkok, sends emails
but never gives his real name?
Perhaps to ASHAMED.?His shirt
was about 5 times two small !!
Him or anybody..Who is he.....
Let us hope that it is not the same old story but we again failed to make Eastlands a fortress becuase of poor finishing and the usual give away in defence. I really cannot believe that KK cannot see that we need another center back with bite and concentration, something that unforunately Distin lacks. Come on KK get it right as early as you can and give the captaincy to someone who provides inspiration.
First game of the season is always irrelevant. Look at last year. There were lots of draws today indicating that there's not going to be a huge gap between everyone save the top three.
We've got a point and now to Liverpool (who should have beaten Spurs like we should have beaten Fulham).....
Not bad, but same old story, nearly but not quite. I do wish we could just get that 2 goal cussion as we always slip up somewhere. Sibs should have won it for us.
1st half better than 2nd, come on KK thought we were fitter than that. No matter everybody else seem to draw yesterday as well. Still luv em'
Long round trip to see City flatter to deceive - Lots of positive play but over intricate at times - doesn't anyone want to score? Soft defending to let an inferior team draw level and then almost claim all three points! We need to beat sides like this. It's no consolation that most other teams drew.
Its unfair to criticise after one game but the game was dour - it needed somenone to control the game, someone with a bit of vision - the substitutions were poor, like for like. But the season has begun and we'll have to wait and see - comments on the atmosphere - poor.
After watching yesterday's game, I concluded that City should have killed off the game long before Fulham equalized,Sibs was not effective on the left(maybe he should play in the centre),City needs a new left winger, City still needs another CB & Fowler shoud not have been substituted(for yesterday anyway)
But as always SWP was great, defence looked more reliable compared to last season & again City controlled the game but end product wasn't there.
Since this is their first epl game...hopefully they'll get better...bring on the Reds !!
Sorry but I didn't see anything yesterday to suggest it will be different this season. Sibiereski,Reyna,Thatcher,Mills,and Fowler are just not good enough! after Fowler scored his workrate tailed off as if he was thinking " ive scored and booked my place for the next game" remember good sides defend from the front as well.Ben Thatcher didn't look enthusiastic at all and both Tarnat and Jensen are better players,Mills looks vunverable under pressure and really without SWP,James,Anelka and perhaps Distin Im sure we would go down,call me a doom and gloom merchant but the stark reality is there for all to see,we are very average. Keegan blamed his sides second half fade out on the heat but it didn't seem to bother the Fulham players so I think there is a fitness problem. I just hope Iam made to eat my words but come on can any City fan see much much improvement? as a footnote both Darren Huckerby and Stephen Elliott have made tremendous starts for their new clubs and I honestly believe allowing Whelan & Elliott to leave will come back to haunt KK the trouble is he'll be away in two years but we will be still suffering!
Its the same old story and why is Fazackerly still at the club? Keegan is clueless he simply cannot adjust to any opposing team changing their formation or tactics,iam so so disappointed and can only see another misreable relegation dog fight!
Having watched City play Fulham it looks like we are in for a season same as last year.City stared beautifully and then after a bit of sloppy defending (there were 3 Fulham forwards in a group and only 2 City defenders, Who was missing?) City resorted to the long ball up the middle.
SWP played well and ran well. He is tricky and quick and has a lot going for him but he must learn to use his last ballbetter.
Who can be more unlucky than Sibierski in scoring goals?
Fowler scored a Lucky goal. maybe his luck has changed and he will score more.
All in all I think City will frustrate again until they find a way to get the ball into the goal.