London:
Erling Haaland is back from injury to Manchester City’s 1-0 victory at Tottenham.
Haaland missed City’s Champions League playoff second leg ex against Premier League losses to Real Madrid and Liverpool after suffering a knee injury against Newcastle on February 15th.
The Norwegian star marked his return with a first half winner in North London as City rose one point above Chelsea, who has finished fourth since his victory over Southampton on Tuesday.
Haaland’s 28th goal in all competitions this season, 10 of whom came to his final 11 games, silenced critics after this season’s barren spell.
After four losses in the final six matches in all competitions, this was a much-needed victory for City. He started strong, but he got lucky as Tottenham missed a series of second half chances.
Pep Guardiola’s side is still a million miles away from the teams that were featured in four consecutive league titles earlier this season.
But Guardiola will take encouragement from the way they have gritty success when they are barely right for them.
Tottenham’s second consecutive victory run is over.
Ange Postecoglou’s team is waning in 13th place, and next week’s Europa League will be the first game of the final 16th match with the club’s sole focus to save the season.
Second youngest lineup
Haaland shot Tottenham Keeper Gugliel Moviario straight in the opening minutes as City got off to a vibrant start.
He should not have been denied as long as City took the lead in the 12th minute.
The surge in Jeremy Doc into the area opened up Tottenham’s defense, with the plates placed on the city striker, whose Belgian cross was not marked, finishing from six yards.
Doc threatened to double the city’s advantages as he cut the inside out for a low strike that forced him to make a good stop from Vicario.
Tottenham, who was destroyed by injuries, selected the second youngest starting lineup ever in a Premier League match at an average age of 243 days.
Postecoglou young people felt it was impossible for the city to stop finding holes in defence times.
Doc chose Savigno from five yards out of goal, but the scuffed shot from Brazil flew when it seemed impossible to miss.
Haaland wasted a great opportunity on a strike in the distance range that Vicario saved with his feet.
Tottenham took an equalizer against the run of play just before halftime as Kevin Danso’s header was turned over by Ederson.
The city was re-exposed early in the second half as Brennan Johnson’s teasing cross reached Wilson O’Dobert on the far post, but the forward grew from four yards.
Adason was able to scramble across the goal and loop into the net before knocking Odobert’s biased effort down with his palm.
City lost his way, and Tottenham should have been on the level just for the teen to shoot wide and vain when Destiny Udogie spotted Matthew’s phone in space.
Post-Koglow sent his son Hyun Min at the closing stage, but Adason made a great save to deny the Koreans before Pipe Saar headed to death when the city was held.