But in the 26th minute, Raul Jimenez, found by Alex Iwobi in the area, delivered a beautiful back-heel flick into the six-yard box, which Andreas Pereira pounced upon to score, giving Marco Silva’s team a surprising lead.

When the visitors broke with three players on two, Traore should have made it 2-0, but his close-range effort went over the crossbar. 

And when Kovacic swung the tide of the match with two goals each side of halftime, City made their opponents pay. In the 32nd minute, the midfielder from Croatia struck the net after a wayward ball found its way in from a corner. 

Shortly after the break, he added another goal with a superb finish that beat Bernd Leno.

Fulham made an effort to draw even, but their hopes were dashed in the 82nd minute when Doku scored a spectacular goal into the top corner to complete the victory. 

Very late in the game, Rodrigo Muniz offered the London team a ray of hope, but they were unable to get a third.

While Traore wasted another opportunity to score in a one-on-one in the second half, this was far from a flawless City effort. Still, they managed to earn all three points before the international break.

Goalkeeper & Defence

Ederson (7/10):

Alert when called upon, denying Traore on two separate occasions as the Spaniard raced clear one-on-one.

Rico Lewis (6/10):

Didn’t receive much support in what was a difficult matchup against the athletic duo of Antonee Robinson and Traore, but coped well.

Manuel Akanji (6/10):

Made a great challenge to stop Traore on a break but was slow to react to Jimenez’s back-heel for Fulham’s opener.

Ruben Dias (6/10):

A typically solid performance from City’s leader, although he won’t be happy about conceding twice at home.

Josko Gvardiol (7/10):

Provided a potentially goal-saving block to thwart Jimenez in the 76th minute.

Midfield

Mateo Kovacic (8/10):

Turned the game around with his two goals. Kevin De Bruyne’s absence will be felt a lot less if Kovacic remains this influential going forwards.

Ilkay Gundogan (6/10):

Doesn’t possess the same physicality that helps make Rodri such a force in City’s midfield, and this may cause issues against more clinical opponents.

Attack

Bernardo Silva (7/10):

City looked more threatening down the right than the left thanks to Silva’s constant probing. Provided the assist for Kovacic’s second.

Phil Foden (6/10):

Handed his first start in the league this season and couldn’t repeat his heroics from midweek, but not for a lack of trying. Should continue to improve as he gets more minutes.

Jack Grealish (5/10):

Failed to provide much of a threat down City’s left and was replaced by Doku after an hour.

Erling Haaland (6/10):

A frustrating afternoon for the Norwegian, who was left to feed on scraps. That’s now back-to-back league games in which he hasn’t scored which, for Haaland, is incomprehensible.

Subs & Manager

Kyle Walker (5/10):

Traore’s pace is well known but the sight of the full-back being easily beaten to the ball in a straight sprint was a concern.

Jeremy Doku (7/10):

Scored a brilliant goal to seal all three points. The Belgian scared Fulham’s defenders significantly more than Grealish did.

John Stones (6/10):

Handed 10 minutes as City tried to see out the game. Couldn’t do anything about Muniz’s late goal.

Matheus Nunes (N/A):

Not enough time to make an impact.

Pep Guardiola (6/10):

The City boss will have some concerns about the quality of chances Fulham created throughout the game. Rodri’s absence was sorely felt in this one, but the international break affords Guardiola some time to think things through.