Samuel Chukwueze says Fulham must keep their heads high after Tuesday’s dramatic 5-4 loss to Manchester City, even though his first two Premier League goals almost helped the team pull off one of the shocks of the season.
The match came only hours after Chukwueze, Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey were all named in Nigeria’s provisional squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
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City, chasing Arsenal at the top of the table, started the night strongly and almost scored inside six minutes when Erling Haaland hit the post.
The striker soon made up for the miss, guiding in a Jeremy Doku cross for his 100th Premier League goal in just 111 matches.
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Tijjani Reijnders doubled the lead with a lifted finish over Bernd Leno, before Phil Foden added a brilliant third from distance.
Fulham found a brief opening when Emile Smith Rowe headed in just before half-time, but City restored control early in the second half.
Foden squeezed in his second from a tight angle, and Doku’s deflected strike made it 5–1, leaving many inside Craven Cottage expecting a routine finish for Pep Guardiola’s men.
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Iwobi sparked life back into the game with a calm low finish into the bottom corner, and from there, Fulham’s Nigerians carried the fight.
Chukwueze, a second half substitute produced the moment of the night when he smashed in a fierce volley for his first league goal, then struck again minutes later from a loose ball after a corner.
The comeback brought the stadium to life, with the home fans roaring as City suddenly looked shaken.
Fulham pushed hard for a late equaliser, and substitute Josh King forced a goal-line clearance in stoppage time, but City held on to stretch their long unbeaten run in this fixture.
After the match, Chukwueze reflected on the emotional evening, praising the team’s fight despite the defeat.
“It was a crazy game today,” he said in an interview with his official club website. “We conceded goals we shouldn’t have conceded, but I liked the spirit of the team for the comeback.”
He said belief within the squad fuelled their late surge.
“For me, I always believe. If we don’t believe, we won’t score. Everybody believed—the team, the coach and the fans.”
Chukwueze also thanked the supporters for driving the team forward.
“The fans were amazing—supportive from 5–1 to 5–4. We gave everything… We have to lift our heads up and move on.”
Although the night marked his best performance since joining Fulham, he admitted his brace felt incomplete without a result.
“It’s a good feeling to score two goals but not a good feeling to lose,” he said. “If I had scored my two goals and we won, it would have meant a lot more to me.”
Chukwueze added that he is starting to grow in confidence.
“I think I’m finding myself. The coach believes in me… My teammates push me a lot, so I have to give them credit.”
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Despite the loss, it was a standout night for Fulham’s Nigerians. Chukwueze scored twice, Iwobi delivered one of his sharpest performances of the season, and Bassey showed composure at the back—all on the same day they were recognised by the Super Eagles setup.
Fulham now turn their focus to Sunday’s game against Crystal Palace as they look to build on the positives from a wild night at the Cottage.
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