Fulham vs Manchester City

Manchester City, who are in charge of their own fate in order to earn a spot in the Champions League, will play Fulham on Sunday afternoon in their final Premier League match of the 2024–25 season at Craven Cottage.

The previous time the Citizens played the Cottagers, they won 3-2 at the Etihad Stadium in October of last year, earning all three points.

With up to £50 in free bets for new signups, Premier League sponsors Betano are capping out the season in grand fashion.

There are plenty games to use your free bets on, including the Club World Cup in June and the Conference League and Champions League finals next week.

Three days after their second consecutive FA Cup final defeat, this time to Crystal Palace, Manchester City recovered from their Wembley setback with a crucial 3-1 victory against Bournemouth at home on Tuesday, solidifying their position in the Premier League’s top five.

In his final match at the Etihad, Kevin De Bruyne missed a golden opportunity in the first half, but the City icon, soon to be commemorated with a statue, was given a heartfelt farewell as he prepares to leave this summer. Goals from Omar Marmoush, Bernardo Silva, and Nico Gonzalez secured the win, delighting the sky-blue faithful.

Pep Guardiola’s side, previously sixth, jumped to third in the Premier League standings with the three points. They now hold a two-point lead over Newcastle United, Chelsea, and Aston Villa, who occupy the spots just below, putting City in a strong position to secure Champions League qualification.

A win against Fulham this weekend would lock in third place for City, while a second-place finish remains a slim possibility, requiring Arsenal to lose to Southampton and a nine-goal swing in goal difference. If Arsenal avoid defeat, this would mark only the second time in 16 seasons that a Guardiola-led top-flight team has finished outside the top two (also third in 2016-17).

Securing a top-five spot would offer City fans some relief after a challenging season without a major trophy, the first in seven years. A draw should be enough to clinch a top-five finish, but a loss at Craven Cottage, combined with unfavorable results elsewhere, could see City drop out of the top five and settle for Europa League qualification.

City, unbeaten in their last nine Premier League games (six wins, three draws), are favorites heading into Sunday’s match, having won all 17 of their previous encounters with Fulham across all competitions, including a 4-0 triumph at Craven Cottage last season—the longest winning streak by one English league team against another.

Fulham, who had hoped to return to European competition for the first time since 2011-12, can no longer secure a Conference League spot after losing six of their last 10 Premier League matches. However, a recent 3-2 comeback win against West London rivals Brentford, with goals from Raul Jimenez, Harry Wilson, and captain Tom Cairney, allowed them to surpass their previous Premier League points record for a season (54), just two years after their Championship title win.

Marco Silva’s side can no longer climb above eighth-placed Brighton & Hove Albion, who lead 10th-placed Fulham by four points after defeating champions Liverpool 3-2 on Monday. The Cottagers now aim to overtake Brentford in ninth for their best top-flight finish in 13 years, but a loss on Sunday could see them drop to 12th if Bournemouth and Crystal Palace win their final matches.

Fulham ended last season with a 4-2 victory over Luton Town, their first final-day win in seven seasons. Repeating that success this weekend will be tough, as they are winless in 19 Premier League games against City (three draws, 16 losses), with their last victory over the Citizens coming in April 2009 at the Etihad under Roy Hodgson.