Premier League preview: Fulham v Manchester City

Fulham manager Martin Jol will be confident of his options up front as his team prepares to host reigning champions Manchester City.

Jol has signed three strikers during the European summer transfer window and all three, Mladen Petric, Hugo Rodallega and Dimitar Berbatov, have scored for Fulham this season.

Rodallega struck the opening goal for Fulham in their 2-1 win away to Wigan last week after being set up by Berbatov.

A flowing move down the right culminated in the ball arriving at Berbatov’s feet and the Bulgarian crossed to the six-yard box, where Rodallega leapt highest to thump a header into the net.

Fulham are joint top-scorers in the English Premier League with 12 goals from five games, matched only by second-placed Manchester United.

The London-based club have won both their home games this season without conceding a goal and considering Manchester City’s defence has looked quite shaky in the league so far, Jol will have belief Fulham can snatch a win on Sunday.

The reigning champions showed their defensive frailties in the League Cup on Tuesday as they were knocked out 4-2 by Aston Villa and although captain Vincent Kompany should return against Fulham to strengthen the back four, City remain suspect in defence.

Manchester City have not kept a clean sheet in any competition this season and have conceded two goals per game on average.

Sunday’s clash pits sixth-placed Fulham against seventh-placed Manchester City and a victory could see Jol’s side move into second if Manchester United lose to Tottenham and other results go the London club’s way this weekend.

While attack looks good for Fulham, midfield is a problem area for Jol as Mahamadou Diarra, Simon Davies and Kieran Richardson are all out injured, prompting the Dutch manager to reportedly look at former Bolton midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker as a possible free signing.

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini could have Samir Nasri back in action for the trip to London after the French midfielder missed his club’s past two games with a hamstring injury.

But Mancini’s side will face a tough task at Fulham as the home side have scored eight goals in two games on their own turf in the EPL.