Source: Daily_Mail
Fulham 1 Man City 2: Santa Cruz and Tevez keep top-four dream alive
Manchester City leapfrogged Liverpool as the race for the final Champions League spot hots up.[LNB]First-half strikes from Roque Santa Cruz and Carlos Tevez sealed victory for City over Fulham at Craven Cottage, although Danny Murphy's penalty gave them a late scare.[LNB]City passed Liverpool to move into fifth and they are now just two points off fourth-placed Tottenham with a game in hand. [LNB] Net gains: Roque Santa Cruz prods home the opening goal[LNB] The hosts still had their famous victory against Juventus fresh in the mind when they found themselves behind to Santa Cruz's opener, with Tevez then extending the lead before the break in the Barclays Premier League clash. [LNB]Fulham are comfortable in mid-table and boss Roy Hodgson illustrated his is Europa League and FA Cup priorities by taking off key players - but Danny Murphy pulled a goal back from the penalty spot and they could have snatched a point. [LNB]With Liverpool defeated at Old Trafford, City now move above Rafael Benitez's side and know their destiny is in their own hands - if they win the rest of their games they will be in the top four. [LNB] Their victory came despite Joleon Lescott suffering a hamstring injury in the warm-up and Javier Garrido getting drafted in but Mancini's makeshift defence was protected well by Gareth Barry and Patrick Vieira, with the Frenchman making his first start since returning from a three-match ban for violent conduct. [LNB] Pure delight: Carlos Tevez wheels away after his strike[LNB]Fulham fans were still buzzing from their victory over Juve and almost had more to sing about after coming close to scoring just before City's opener in the seventh minute. [LNB]Damien Duff lofted a cross to the far post where Bobby Zamora headed back and Zoltan Gera touched over Shay Given, only for Kolo Toure to acrobatically clear off the line. [LNB]The visitors retained the ball and sprung a counter-attack, with Tevez feeding the ball to Craig Bellamy on the right flank. The Welshman's tame shot flicked the heels of Aaron Hughes, struck the post and bounced over Mark Schwarzer, allowing Santa Cruz to poke home as Dickson Etuhu closed in. [LNB]It was his fourth goal of an injury-hit season and his first under Mancini, who was rewarded for fielding an attacking line-up against a team that had only lost once at home since September. Their formation often looked like 4-2-4 when they had the ball.[LNB] [LNB] Eyes on the ball: Gareth Barry (right) challenges Bobby Zamora and Simon Davies[LNB]Tevez had tested Schwarzer twice in the first half, the first with a powerful drive that looked set for the bottom corner and then after Paul Konchesky had carelessly given the ball away in a dangerous area. [LNB]He then doubled the lead nine minutes before the break, finishing off a flowing move that started from Pablo Zabaleta at right-back. Tevez nut-megged Murphy then found Bellamy, whose floated return pass from the left flank found his team-mate one on one against centre-back Chris Smalling. [LNB] It was a case of Manchester United past versus future, with the Argentina forward cutting inside Old Trafford-bound Smalling before finishing crisply past Schwarzer. [LNB]Hodgson clearly had one eye on Wednesday's FA Cup quarter-final replay against Tottenham as he took off Zamora and Gera early in the second half, with Clint Dempsey and Stefano Okaka coming on to try to get the hosts back in the game.[LNB] [LNB] Spot on: Danny Murphy tucks home his late penalty[LNB] [LNB]City, however, looked likely to add to their lead. Adam Johnson laidon a chance for Santa Cruz that Schwarzer parried, then Johnson cutinside from the right wing and fired a shot that struck the post.Bellamy was also found by Johnson unmarked in the penalty area and hadtime to chest the ball under control - but his finish went wide ofSchwarzer's upright. [LNB] The game appeared to be drifting towards a routine City victoryuntil Lee Probert, with the help from his assistant, awarded a penaltyfor Barry handling Chris Baird's cross from the right. [LNB] Murphy sent Given the wrong way with the penalty to set up a tensefinale, with Okaka missing a straightforward chance to equalise andProbert turning down another spot-kick appeal when Vincent Kompanyappeared to handle.[LNB] Roy Hodgson admits lure of silverware takes priority over Premier LeagueGerman threat to Fulham: Roy's boys to face Wolfsburg in Europa LeagueFULHAM FC
