Football: Tottenham Hotspur 0 - 1 Manchester City
City moved back to the top four
Erling Haaland’s early strike proved to be the difference as Manchester City edged past Spurs.
The Norwegian turned in Jeremy Doku’s cross from close range after just 12 minutes, and while he thought he’d doubled his tally in stoppage time, his second-half effort was ruled out for handball by referee Jarred Gillett.
That decision could have sparked controversy, with replays inconclusive on whether the ball actually struck Haaland’s arm during a challenge from Kevin Danso. With no clear evidence, VAR was unable to overturn the call.
Last time out | City 0 - 2 Liverpool
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City should have been out of sight by half-time, with the lively Doku setting up Haaland for another decent chance before teeing up Savinho, who somehow blazed over from close range.
Spurs, sluggish in the first half, improved significantly after the break—helped by the introduction of Heung-min Son, Dejan Kulusevski, and Djed Spence, all of whom surprisingly started on the bench. But despite their late pressure, Pep Guardiola’s side stood firm, with Ederson producing a crucial save to keep them ahead.
After Stefan Ortega’s heroics in this fixture last season helped City secure the title, it was Ederson’s turn to step up, denying Son with a superb stop late on to preserve the clean sheet.
City’s attacking threat faded after the break, with Haaland’s late disallowed goal their only real moment of note. But after Sunday’s defeat to Liverpool, this was a strong response—and it was enough to lift them back into the Champions League spots at Chelsea’s expense.
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