Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates after the match against Fulham.
Manchester City clinched top spot in the Premier League for the first time since February as Erling Haaland took another step forward in a 2-1 win over Fulham on Sunday.
It took just three minutes for Haaland to score his 34th Premier League goal in a phenomenal debut season in England, as the Norwegian saved a penalty.
That puts him on par with Alan Shearer and Andy Cole's Premier League goalscoring record in a single season.
City were trailing 15 minutes into the game when Carlos Vinicius shot past Ederson, but they responded with backhands to create a host of chances. Jack Grealish was denied by the crossbar before Argentina striker Julian Alvarez created a magical moment to beat Bernd Leno with a right-footed shot from just outside the box.
City failed to give themselves a foothold after the break despite several chances and experiencing moments of nervousness, but they managed to get their eighth straight win in the league.
They currently lead with 76 points to Arsenal's 75 and have one more game to play.
Fulham is still 10th.
Meanwhile, Bruno Fernandes' goal gave Manchester United a 1-0 win over Aston Villa on Sunday, increasing their chances of finishing in the Premier League top four and continuing their dominant form at Old Trafford. Erik ten Hag's team is fourth in the standings with 63 points from 32 matches and is one match behind fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who has 54 points.
United are unbeaten at home for 15 consecutive Premier League games, with just three draws. They have not lost at Old Trafford since the first weekend of the season against Brighton & Hove Albion.
United let Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez work early with some delicious chances before finally paying off in the 39th minute.
Martinez swooped down to block Marcus Rashford's shot after a well-timed run from the United forward, and Fernandes charged in for a one-touch shot from a tight angle. Unai Emery's side, who lost their first match in 11 games, are sixth in the standings, with 54 points from 33 games.
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