Summary Fulham lost 5-1 to Man City in a match that saw VAR come under scrutiny, leaving many bemused. The Whites showed promise in the first half, creating good chances and having a higher xG value than City in the first half. The game turned in the second half, with City dominating possession and scoring three times, while Bernd Leno and Antonee Robinson struggled.

Fulham lost away at Manchester City today, but the game was not without drama, with VAR once again coming under scrutiny for failing to disallow the hosts' second goal.

What was the Man City vs Fulham score?

The Cottagers were defeated 5-1 at the Etihad Stadium this afternoon, in a match they would have been expected to lose, though the way it panned out will still be very frustrating for Marco Silva, as a key decision near the end of the first half changed the game.

Man City went 1-0 up just after the half-hour mark, with Julian Alvarez opening the scoring, before Tim Ream equalised just two minutes later, giving the visitors hope about taking something from the game.

On the stroke of half-time, however, Nathan Ake found the back of the net for City, heading past Bernd Leno to restore his side's lead in controversial fashion.

Although the goal was not ruled out initially, Man City journalist Sam Lee was taken aback by VAR's decision not to overturn it upon review, with Manuel Akanji appearing as though he had interfered with play.

Lee said: "Goal given! I am very surprised by that, would have been very easy to say Akanji was in the way of Leno imo."

Fulham podcaster Sammy James was even more critical of VAR's failure to restore parity, after what appeared to be a blatant offside, saying: "That is one of the worst decisions I've ever seen. If Akanji isn't there, Leno saves it. An absolute joke."

Speaking live on Sky Sports, former referee Mike Dean also expressed his shock with the decision, saying: "It just can't stand. He's jumped over the ball, he has to be interfering,

"It just has to be disallowed."

Such was the Fulham players' frustration with the costly decision, some outlets reported that they initially refused to restart the game, with it ultimately proving to be a game-changing moment, as Man City ran out 5-1 winners.

How did Fulham play against Man City?

Although the Cottagers ultimately lost 5-1, there were some positives to take from the game, particularly their performance in the first half, during which they recorded two shots on target, and a higher xG value than City, indicating they were creating good chances.

However, the game turned on its head in the second half following the bizarre decision from VAR, with the hosts going on to dominate possession and score three goals from three shots on target, with Leno putting in a poor display.

The German recorded a Sofascore match rating of just 5.7 – the joint-lowest on the pitch alongside Antonee Robinson, who also struggled for large periods of the game. Only Raul Jimenez received a rating above seven.

As such, while the VAR decision ultimately changed the course of the match, Silva will also be frustrated with the performances of some of his players, as the second-half performance was subpar.

Up next for Fulham in the Premier League is a home match against Luton Town next Saturday, in which they will be hoping to bounce back with a victory.