Fulham storm back to shock Man City

FULHAM stunned Man City with a stirring fightback to end the visitors' 100 per cent start to the Premier League campaign – a display that will surely kick-start a limp campaign so far.

Danny Murphy (pictured) and Bobby Zamora were the men on target.

Martin Jol is still looking for a first league win since taking over in the summer – having now drawn a blank in the opening five games.

But this draw felt every bit as good as a win, coming as it did against a City side brimming with confidence who at times seemed to be toying with the Whites.

When they went 2-0 up within 12-13 seconds of the start of the second half, few would have bet against City repeating last season's 4-1 demolition at the very least.

But a Zamora goal soon after transformed the atmosphere, gave Jol's men renewed belief and curiously cast a few doubts among the away ranks.

Last season, Carlos Tevez tormented the Whites in that Cottage win, but this year it was Sergio Aguero doing the damage.

City took an 18 ^th minute lead when the superb David Silva – found by Gareth Barry on the fringes of the Fulham penalty area - played a smart ball between Chris Baird and Stephen Kelly for Aguero to tuck home past Mark Schwarzer.

There was a hint of offside about it, but no-one could question the merit of the visitors' half time lead.

Schwarzer had to be alert to keep out a Gael Clichy drive after the former Arsenal full-back had been fed by Silva at a short corner and the Aussie stopper was again in fine form when tipping over fron Edin Dzeko – the drifting, unmarkable Silva again the supplier.

The only siver-lining – as opposed to Silva-lining – was that City did not punish Fulham further in the first half and Jol's men were somehow still in the hunt at the interval.

Less than 15 seconds into the second half, Aguero profited from a Dzeko head-down to drill low past Schwarzer's right and the contest appeared to lose all pretensions of having an unpredictable outcome.

But nine minutes later, Zamora drilled a perfect rising shot past Joe Hart for his fourth of the season after being fed by Clint Dempsey on the edge of the area.

And with the Cottage suddenly alive, Moussa Dembele hit a rasping left foot drive from 20 yards which Hart did well to keep out, diving low to his right.

Hart was again in action not long after – palming a close-range Dempsey header over the bar and when Silva was withdrawn for Pablo Zabaleta with 20 minutes to go by an increasingly anxious Mancini, we had confirmation we were in a different ball game.

Almost inevitably, the Whites got themselves level on 75 minutes when Zamora's lay-off was swept goalwards by Murphy and found the bottom corner via the knee of Vincent Kompany.

Cue pandemonium and mock Poznan celebration dances from home fans.

Line-up: Schwarzer; Kelly, Baird, Hangeland, Riise; Duff (Kasami 61), Murphy, Sidwell, Dempsey; Dembele (Ruiz 87), Zamora. Subs not used: Etheridge, Sa, Senderos, Gecov, Grygera.

Attendance: 24,750