Two goal-less draws at have seen Manchester City stumble in their chase for the Premier League title, but it does not get easier as they travel to Fulham who have lost just once at Craven Cottage all season. Follow Sportsmail's coverage of the game that kicks-off at 4pm where you can email me your thoughts on the action at dan.ripley@dailymail.co.uk
Fulham 0-3 Manchester City (4pm)Fulham: Schwarzer, Baird, Hangeland, Hughes, Salcido, Davies, Murphy, Etuhu, Duff, Dempsey, Andrew Johnson.Subs: Stockdale, Kelly, Pantsil, Gera, Kamara, Dikgacoi, Greening.Man City: Hart, Zabaleta, Toure, Kompany, Kolarov, Toure Yaya, De Jong, Barry, Jo, Tevez, Silva.Subs: Given, Milner, Wright-Phillips, Adebayor, Adam Johnson, Vieira, Boyata.
Goals: Tevez 6.Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire)
42min: Wheres the attackers! Kolorov whips in a lovely low ball across the six yard box but there is not a City player within a country mile of it. Told you this City side was negative.
40min: I can't believe this is the same Man City in recent weeks, the ball retention is phenomenal, Fulham are chasing shadows.
37min: Maybe that 14-0 scoreline is on after all, City continue to attack. Mark Hughes looking a mixture of stunned and frustrated.
35min: GOAL! Fulham 0-3 MANCHESTER CITY
Fulham are falling apart. Silva picks out Tevez on the edge of the box who proceeds to play through Yaya Toure in the box who easily slots it across goal in to the bottom corner. 'Boring boring City' shout the away fans ironically.
32min: GOAL! Fulham 0-2 MANCHESTER CITY
This has been coming and in front of Diego Maradona this is the Argentina show.
A loose ball in the box is cleared only as far as Pablo Zabaleta just over 20 yards out who hits it with the outside of his right foot as it curls away from Schwarzer in to the top corner.
It takes a slight deflection of Damien Duff's foot but I don't think Schwarzer was stopping that.
30min: You would think Fulham are the away side, they just cannot get into this, City have the freedom of the Cottage and are camped in Fulham's half knocking it around nicely.
28min: City have fully settled now and look the more likely to score on the counter, tevez is looking very sharp.
25min: Fantastic sliding tackle from Salcido as Pablo Zabaleta looks to break down the right but he comes off slightly hurt holding his ankle.
He is back up though and looks okay as David Silva fires wide across goal that does not even go wide as it bounces out for a throw in.
23min: In fact they counter through Aleksandar Kolorov who through on goal produces a fine stop from Mark Schwarzer who dives low to his left to pluck the ball out for a corner.
22min: Fulham win a free-kick out wide on the right of the box after Vincent Kompany tangles with Dempsey.
Danny Murphy's cleverly squared ball low across the penalty box is scuffed by Simon Davies and City clear.
19min: This game needs a shot let alone another goal. Very slow tempo with not much attacking football. May as well still be 0-0.
17min: One thing Fulham don't have to worry about is slipping into the relegation zone this evening. That would take a 14-0 defeat. Every cloud and all that.
15min: Signs Fulham are growing in confidence, Joe Hart in in the City goal still has yet to make a save but a few more crosses are coming in and the likes of Clint Dempsey are being invited to have a shot from distance. Not a good idea.
13min: Little stat from opta: Gareth Barry has just managed his first assist for Manchester City in the Premier League since March. took me by surprise that.
11min: That goal is about our only real chance so far, game is lagging a bit.
8min: Fulham look to immediately but Aaron Hughes' header from a corner is comfortably over.
Early doors: Skipper Carlos Tevez fires Manchester City into an early lead
6min: GOAL! Fulham 0-1 MANCHESTER CITY
That's City's first attack and that is splendid from Carlos Tevez. He shrugs off Carlos Salcido after receiving the ball on the edge of the box before slotting past Schwarzer into the bottom corner.
4min: Fulham have much of the ball early on in the City half, but Mancini's side have so far kept them at arms length.
2min: No early fireworks, as both sides get a some crunching challenges early on.
Kick-off: Fulham get us going.
15.58: Teams are out at Craven Cottage, great atmosphere from a capacity crowd.
15.55: Anybody fancy a sweep stake on what City will produce today? I'll throw a tenner in.
Another nil-nil, on-field player bust ups, more negative tactics and even a barnstorming performance could be in the mix. At some point City have done all four this season.
15.52: That was the last man I was expecting at this game, Diego Maradona is in attendance as he makes his way across the playing surface into the his vantage point for the game...he looks absolutely freezing.
15.50: Some pre-match words from Mancini:
'Today is going to be a very difficult game, Fulham are a difficult team to play against. Jo starts and can play a good game, I'm looking to give him a chance.'
...and on whether mark Hughes will play a factor...
'No, todays is just about Manchester City and Fulham.'
15.46: One result just screams out at us today...draw.
As mentioned Man City have drawn their last two and Fulham have drawn the most Premier League games this season. If it is a stalemate let's hope it is a high scoring one. Five-five should fit the bill.
15.43: So 'Sparky' faces the side he last managed for the first time since being dismissed last December.
He says he is not bitter and that he doesn't hold grudges and there is no reason to doubt that.
But he will REALLY want to get one Manchester City this afternoon.
15.41: Roberto Mancini hands £18million Brazilian Jo his first Premier League start since October 2008.
Although signed before Hughes replaced Sven-Goran Eriksson, Jo was the first arrival in the summer that he became City boss and he soon tired of the former CSKA Moscow man, shipping him out to Everton on loan at the first available opportunity.
In addition, there are five Hughes signings in the City line-up, including skipper Carlos Tevez, compared to just one, Carlos Salcido, in the Fulham team.
15.38: As they lineup at Craven Cottage:
Fulham v Man CityFulham: Schwarzer, Baird, Hangeland, Hughes, Salcido, Davies, Murphy, Etuhu, Duff, Dempsey, Andrew Johnson. Subs: Stockdale, Kelly, Pantsil, Gera, Kamara, Dikgacoi, Greening.Man City: Hart, Zabaleta, Toure, Kompany, Kolarov, Toure Yaya, De Jong, Barry, Jo, Tevez, Silva. Subs: Given, Milner, Wright-Phillips, Adebayor, Adam Johnson, Vieira, Boyata.Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire)
15.35: Just when you thought those stalemates had seemed to show City were not good enough for a title charge. Two of their main rivals in Arsenal and Chelsea spectacularly drop the ball as both crashed to defeat in yesterday's Barclays Premier League matches.
But today's opponents Fulham will be just as desperate for the points as they hover just above the relegation zone on goal difference, and that's before we consider the Mark Hughes factor...Team news on the way.
Heading for the top: Carlos Tevez will hope to fire his City side within three points of league leaders Chelsea
Hughes has moved on but Fulham boss is determined to stop Man CityDisrespectful! I would not stab another manager in the back, insists Hughes'Balotelli has it easy'! City stars vent frustration at Mancini's 'blue-eyed boy'ALL FULHAM FC
Source: Daily Mail
Source: Daily Mail