Mateo Kovacic will be relieved that he had his shooting boots on during Manchester City's 3-2 win against Fulham.

City could have potentially dropped points in back-to-back Premier League games had Kovacic not scored a brilliant brace on Saturday.

On a day where Fulham were set up in two banks of four to make life difficult for the hosts, the PS150,000-a-week man managed to break their resolve with his wand of a right foot.

The Croatian was awarded a slice of luck after Joachim Andersen's deflection meant his effort beat Bernd Leno and meant Manchester City levelled the scoreline to 1-1.

However, the 30-year-old's splendid technique was on display for his second goal as his strike had the perfect blend of power and precision to give the Premier League winners the lead at the time.

Kovacic revealed Pep Guardiola advised him to make his way in and around the box to sniff out chances and he executed his manager's instructions with aplomb.

What Dias said to Kovacic after Man City beat Fulham Manchester City head into the international break in second place.

Liverpool maintained their tremendous start to life under Arne Slot with a 1-0 victory against Crystal Palace and remain at the top of the Premier League table.

Despite Arsenal's 3-1 win against Southampton, their inferior goal difference to City means they remain in third place behind them on the same number of points after seven league games.

While the Sky Blues' showing was far from flawless, they would be delighted with getting over the line against an in-form Cottagers side.

Ruben Dias expressed his admiration towards Kovacic by commenting on his post-match Instagram post after Manchester City beat Fulham.

The midfield maestro captioned his post: "Good win for the team and another one coming for my family!"

Dias commented: "Kova", followed by a heart emoji.

Mateo Kovacic deserves immense credit for his brace Last season, Kovacic scored one goal in the Premier League for City.

With his latest brace, the former Chelsea technician has taken his tally to three already this season - as he did his best impression of Rodri by scoring goals in and around the opposition box.

Unlike midfielders like Ilkay Gundogan and Phil Foden, Kovacic is not a natural goalscorer.

However, the silky orchestrator took it upon himself to come up clutch for Manchester City against Fulham.

Despite being 30, Kovacic is showcasing that he is still ready to evolve his game.

The willingness to do so is the sign of a true top player.