Manchester City FC

After missing our last two games, Haaland needed just 12 minutes to open the scoring.

He was found brilliantly by Jeremy Doku, who rolled the path into his path just six yards out for Haaland to stroke into the corner.

It made him just the second player in Premier League history to hit 20 goals in his first three seasons in the English top-flight.

City dominated the rest of the first half and should have extended our lead, but some determined last ditch defending kept the margin to one.

It meant an inspired Ederson performance was required in the second period to earn all three points, with the Brazilian making six saves including a stunning late stop from Heung-min Son.

In the end, the Blues claimed a hard-fought victory to move back into the Premier League’s top four.

Having missed last week’s defeats against Real Madrid and Liverpool, it was a reminder of the impact our clinical finisher can make.

Spurs 0-1 City | Guardiola reaction

He even thought he’d put the icing on the cake in the dying moments after stroking past Guglielmo Vicario but he instead saw the strike ruled out for handball.

City could easily have put the game beyond Spurs in the first half but were instead forced to work hard for a clean sheet and the three points as the hosts improved after the break.

Ederson demonstrated what has made him one of the Premier League’s finest goalkeepers for seven-and-a-half seasons with a string of superb saves to keep the hosts at bay.

The win moves us back into the top four of the Premier League with 11 games remaining.

After four successive league defeats without a goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium following its opening, we have now been successful on our last two trips to the top-flight’s newest venue.

City travelled to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium seeking to get back to winning ways after back-to-back losses against Real Madrid and Liverpool.

With the race for a top four Premier League finish and with it a guaranteed place in next season’s Champions League hotting up, it was another crucial clash for Pep Guardiola‘s side.

But with Spurs seeking a fourth successive league win and playing on home soil it promised to be a testing assignment.

Spurs had already recorded two wins over City this term in the Carabao Cup and in the league at the Etihad - but City travelled down to London seeking a result that help avenge those two defeats.

How would it play out this time?

Watch the full-match replay at the top of the page...

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That's all from me after a really satisfactory night.

A 1-0 win at Spurs, back into the Premier League top four and a goalscoring return for Erling Haaland.

That's a decent night's work in anyone's book!

We'll have highlights and a full match replay on our app and mancity.com from midnight.

And we'll be back on Saturday four our FA Cup fifth round clash at home to Plymouth, kick-off 5.45pm.

As always many thanks for your company tonight and see you on Saturday.

We were better in the first and they were better in the second. 1-0 2-0 3-0 that should have happened because of the chances.

Never ever can you stop playing. Always you have to play and make long actions.

Teams play so high it can happen. Always its a lesson when you stop to do it anything can happen.

We are happy. Important three points, that's what we need.

I think Jeremy did a really good game and he should have had more assists. It was a great goal and good to get the ball from Jeremy.

It’s not easy to know when to get the ball, it was lucky as well with the deflection.

The Uzbek defender, who joined the Club in January, put in a brilliant display to help us to a clean sheet in Wednesday’s narrow victory at Tottenham Hotspur.

Erling Haaland‘s goal proved to be enough for the three points in north London, with City dominating the first half but failing to capitalise on our chances.

The hosts grew into the match in the second period and a solid defensive display, including six Ederson saves, was required to earn the win.

Just six games into his City career, Khusanov is already impressing Guardiola with his attitude as well as his skillset.

“Today he travelled without a brush and his washbag. Nothing. He arrived here to play football,” said the boss in his post-match press conference.

“What I like is that he is already incredible for the dressing room,” said the boss in his post-match press conference.

“Today he travelled without no toothbrush and his washbag. Nothing. Arrived here to play football.

“When you talk to him he just laughs, laughs, laughs all the time but he is a reliable player.

“So fast, so quick, quality with passes is extraordinary. He breaks the lines. He has the ability to do it. He has to improve but he’s 20.

“I’ve seen players with a lot of pace but he is one of them.

“People adore him. He is silent, no complaints and so humble and I’m sure our fans will love him.

“It’s not easy to overcome after what happened after five minutes against Chelsea but he was calm and he handled it.

“The games he’s played recently, he’s been really, really good.”

Fit again and restored to the starting line-up after missing the last two games, the Norwegian struck in decisive fashion on 12 minutes to register his 20th Premier League goal of the season.

He latched onto Jeremy Doku’s inviting cross and drilled home an instinctive first-time finish that ultimately proved decisive.

Haaland thought he had wrapped up victory late on when he had the ball in the net again only for referee Jarred Gillett to rule the effort out for handball, a decision upheld after a lengthy VAR check.

Nevertheless, it was a crucial win for City, moving us back into the top four – and the boss was quick to acknowledge its significance as well the exciting potential of our young attacking line up.

“In the second half we suffer but we should have closed it in the first. But for Champions League qualification, it was an incredibly good result for us,” Pep reflected.

“Eddy was good. The defending was good, Ruben and Khusanov was extraordinary, Josko and Matheus again and in the end a good result for us.

“For sure [the goal] it’s the future. We have a young, young team.

“The three up front is the future. Nico when Rodri come back will be the future. Khusanov, you have seen it today and Josko is young.

“Bernardo, Gundo and Kevin and the other ones are still really important. It’s a question of time and new acquisitions we will do in the summer have to lead the club for years.”

Aside from Haaland’s strike, City also carved open several other excellent opportunities to add to our lead in what was an impressive first half display.

However, we had to withstand periods of Spurs pressure after the break with player of the match Ederson making several key saves, the most notable a brilliant block to deny Son Heung-min five minutes from time.

The boss said the second 45 minutes was a timely reminder of the need to never drop our guard.

“We were better in the first and they were better in the second. 1-0 2-0 3-0 that should have happened because of the chances,” Pep added.

“Never ever can you stop playing. Always you have to play and make long actions. Teams play so high it can happen.

“Always it’s a lesson when you stop to do it, anything can happen. This season after we draw or lose the games many, many times and hopefully we can improve.”

The prolific striker needed just 12 minutes to find the bottom corner from Jeremy Doku‘s deflected cross, and saw a late strike ruled out for handball, as City claimed three important points to move back into fourth place in the table.

MATCH REPORT: TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 0-1 CITY

Haaland missed two matches with a knee problem after feeling some discomfort during the 4-0 victory over Newcastle United earlier this month, but returned to be the match-winner at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

“Yeah, important win and happy to be back,” declared Haaland in his post-match interview with City TV.

“Yeah, it’s good to be back. I feel good. Of course it’s been a tough last few weeks but that’s life. You have to look forward, you have to keep going. And you have to stay positive because we can still manage to do things.

“We should have scored more goals and I think we should have finished the game. But this is what happens. In the end it’s a difificult game but we managed to win and that’s really important.

“Clean sheet and to win the game is amazing. So we’re all happy.”

The striker also spoke about the importance of our goalkeepers after another stellar display between the sticks by Ederson.

The striker returned to the City team after missing two matches due to injury and took just 12 minutes to get back on the scoresheet, coolly slotting into the corner for his 20th league strike of the campaign from Jeremy Doku’s deflected cross.

With that goal, our No.9 became only the second player ever to score 20+ goals in each of his first three Premier League seasons, striking 36 times in his first season, before reaching 27 in 2023/24.

MATCH REPORT: TOTTENHAM HOSTPUR 0-1 CITY

Pep Guardiola’s men now have three wins in our last five league outings and sit in fourth place in the table, as Haaland reiterated the importance of the victory.

“Happy. [It’s an] important three points, that’s what we need,” he said in an interview after the match.

“Yeah I think Jeremy [Doku] did a really good game and he should have had more assists today. It was a great goal and good to get the ball from Jeremy.

“It’s not easy to know when to get the ball, it was lucky as well with the deflection there.”

The striker also became just the second player in Premier League history to score 10+ goals both home and away in three separate seasons.

PICTURE SPECIAL: Haaland strike sinks spurs!

Despite the impressive individual numbers and records, the Norwegian insisted that his mind and body is solely focused on success for the team.

“Of course it’s nice to hear that now obviously, but again, when you’re in the moment you don’t really think of it,” he said.

“In my first season at City it was all talk about most goals in a season but I couldn’t think of that because all I wanted was to win games and win the league. So of course it is nice to hear it after but that is not my focus.

“My focus is to help the team win, I know it’s boring but it’s true. Of course, it’s nice to score goals. We win and that’s what really matters.”

Having missed last week’s defeats against Real Madrid and Liverpool, it was a reminder of the impact our clinical finisher can make.

Haaland even thought he’d put the icing on the cake in the dying moments after stroking past Guglielmo Vicario but he instead saw the strike ruled out for handball.

City could have put the game out of sight in the first half but were instead forced to work hard for a clean sheet and the three points as the hosts improved after the break.

The hard-fought win moves us back into the top four of the Premier League with 11 games remaining.

After four successive league defeats without a goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium following its opening, we have now been successful on our last two trips to the top-flight’s newest venue.

What happened

The match began at a furious pace until City were able to slow the game down and settle into our passing rhythm.

Our first major opening of the evening came in the seventh minute, as Matheus Nunes sprinted to the byline and pulled back for Erling Haaland.

The Norwegian dug out a first-time volley with his right foot that Guglielmo Vicario pouched on his line.

Our returning No.9’s eyes widened just seconds later when racing onto a pass over the top, but Vicario got to the ball a fraction of a second before the striker.

The inevitable opener finally came in the 12th minute as Jeremy Doku squared up Pedro Porro on the left wing and threaded a pass to a waiting Haaland six yards out.

He made no mistake for his 20th Premier League goal of the season and his 10th away from the Etihad.

With that, he became only the second player after Ruud van Nistelrooy to hit 20 in their first three seasons in the Premier League and second after Harry Kane to score 10+ goals home and away in three consecutive terms in our division.

Our next major opening came shortly before the half hour mark and Doku was again the source.

Released down the left, he whipped the ball across goal ahead of Spurs’ retreating defence and into the path of Savinho. The Brazilian hit his shot directly into the floor and saw it clear the bar.

Asweeping move from right to left followed only moments later, with Doku again passing into Haaland’s path.

In a similar position to where he had scored less than 20 minutes prior, our man this time saw Vicario block his shot with a desperate leap.

It was a siege by that point and Pep Guardiola’s frustrations only grew as Savinho sat Destiny Udogie down before hammering the ball into Kevin Danso’s body.

We were almost made to pay for those spurned chances on the cusp of half-time, when Ederson had to be alert to tip over Danso’s glancing header.

The second half started in a similar vein to the majority of the first 45 though, with City immediately on the front foot.

Doku had the first shot in anger after the break, stepping in off his wing and angling an effort far wide of Vicario’s post.

Our wingers continued to stretch Spurs’ defence to its fullest, standing on the touchline and waiting for the pass before cutting in.

Savinho was the next to pull the trigger, following excellent work and a raking cross-field pass from Josko Gvardiol. However, the Brazilian again saw his shot blocked.

Spurs’ catalyst for an energetic finish came just seconds later, with Wilson Odobert flinging himself at Porro’s low cross but failing to squeeze it inside the back post.

Ederson was soon tested again, as Odobert’s shot was deflected up in the air off Nunes.

It would have looped in if not for the quick feet and swinging claw of our goalkeeper.

On-loan striker Mathys Tel should then have levelled the scores, with Udogie stealing the ball off Savinho and driving into our final third before supplying his team-mate.

All connected with City were relieved as Tel’s touch crawled wide of Ederson‘s post, but the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was suddenly alive with hope.

Substitutes Heung-min Son and Pape Matar Sarr then linked up, with the latter’s shot headed clear by Gvardiol, who had read the play brilliantly to position himself in front of goal.

Spurs’ talismanic Korean forward then had their golden opportunity to take a point with just over five minutes remaining, turning a cross towards goal only for the diving Ederson to make a stunning stop.

In the same goal where Stefan Ortega Moreno all but sealed last year’s Premier League title by denying Son, Ederson‘s intervention was enough to guarantee our eighth Premier League clean sheet of the season.

With just seconds left, Haaland thought he’d added our second after emerging from a clash with Danso to stroke into the corner of the goal.

However, his celebrations were cut shot by the referee’s whistle before VAR agreed with Jarred Gillett’s decision that the Norwegian had used his arm.

It mattered little in the grand scheme of things, as City claimed all three points.

Teams

CITY XI: Ederson, Nunes, Khusanov, Dias (C), Gvardiol, Nico (Bernardo 73), Kovacic (Gundogan 90), Savinho (McAtee 90), Marmoush (Foden 73), Doku (Grealish 90), Haaland

Subs: Ortega Moreno, Ake, De Bruyne, Lewis

SPURS XI: Vicario, Porro, Gray, Danso, Udogie, Bergvall, Bentancur (Sarr 67), Maddison (C) (Werner 82), Johnson, Tel (Kulusevski 66), Odobert (Son 67)

Subs: Kinsky, Reguilon, Spence, Bissouma, Scarlett

Pep Guardiola reaction

The boss’ thoughts will follow shortly...

Man of the match

Ederson - Our brilliant Brazilian is mostly revered for his world-class distribution skills, but this performance was an excellent reminder of his prowess when it comes to goalkeeping fundamentals.

He made six pivotal saves, including a stunning late diving stop from Heung-min Son, as we battled to an eighth clean sheet of the Premier League season.

Spurs’ xG of more than one goal shows that on another day, the hosts could easily have earned a point.

Instead they came up against a goalkeeper who has proven over his seven-and-a-half seasons in England to be one of the Premier League era’s very, very best.

Haaland reaction

“Happy. [It’s an] important three points, that’s what we need.

“I think Jeremy [Doku] did a really good game and he should have had more assists today.

“It was a great goal and good to get the ball from Jeremy. It’s not easy to know when to get the ball, it was lucky as well with the deflection there.”

Goal machine

Erling Haaland didn’t need long to highlight exactly what we missed in last week’s defeats against Real Madrid and Liverpool.

In fact, the opener came from a situation that Jeremy Doku found himself in on multiple occasions after beating Trent Alexander-Arnold on Sunday.

However, this time the Belgian had Haaland to aim for. Despite the Norwegian’s size and stature, he strolled into space and was an easy target for the winger to pick out.

His casual finish took him to 20 goals in the Premier League this season and 83 in total in just 93 games in the English top-flight.

He also became only the second player after Harry Kane to score 10+ goals home and away in three consecutive Premier League seasons.

It may go without saying, but with the No.9 on the pitch City really can score at any moment.

What it means

The victory moves us to 47 points from 27 games and back into the top four of the Premier League.

We have won 14 of our matches, drawn five and lost eight.

What’s next

We host Plymouth Argyle in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday 1 March at 17:45 (UK).

Our next Premier League assignment sees us go to Nottingham Forest for a 12:30 (UK) start on Saturday 8 March.

Pep Guardiola‘s men made the perfect start in north London as Haaland took just 12 minutes to grab his 20th goal of the league campaign, after missing two matches with a knee problem.

Neat build up play involving Omar Marmoush, Savinho, Nico and Jeremy Doku ended with the latter’s cross finding the feet of the unmarked Haaland, who made no mistake from six yards.

Eight minutes later, the electric Doku forced Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario into a superb low save, before the shot-stopper was called into action again on the half-hour mark, saving Haaland’s close range effort.

MATCH REPORT: TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 0-1 CITY

Ten minutes after the interval, the hosts created their first big chance of the evening as a teasing cross made its way to the back post, but Wilson Odobert diverted wide at full-stretch.

Spurs remained on the front foot and with six minutes left to play, Ederson produced a splendid save to deny Heung-Min Son from eight yards.

Guardiola‘s men weathered the storm, remaining focused and resolute at the back to claim three important points, keeping us in fourth place and taking us one point behind Nottingham Forest, who drew against Arsenal.