Haaland returns to fire Man City into fourth place

Erling Haaland marked his return from injury with the decisive goal as Manchester City edged past Tottenham 1-0 on Wednesday, moving into fourth place in the Premier League tale.

The Norwegian striker, who had been sidelined since February 15 with a knee injury, missed City’s Champions League exit to Real Madrid and their league defeat to Liverpool.

However, he wasted no time making an impact, netting his 28th goal of the season to lift City one point above Chelsea.

Haaland Seals City Win

City started brightly, with Haaland testing Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario early on before finding the breakthrough in the 12th minute.

Jeremy Doku’s driving run into the box unsettled Tottenham’s defence, and his precise cross set up Haaland for a simple finish from six yards.

Doku nearly doubled the lead with a curling effort, while Haaland squandered another golden opportunity, denied by Vicario’s legs.

City’s performance was far from their dominant best, and they rode their luck as Tottenham missed a series of chances in the second half.

Tottenham Struggles Continue

Spurs, who fielded their second-youngest Premier League starting XI at an average age of 23 years and 243 days, lacked composure in front of goal.

Brennan Johnson’s dangerous cross found Wilson Odobert, but he poked wide from close range. Kevin Danso’s header was tipped over by Ederson, while Mathys Tel and Pape Sarr both wasted late opportunities.

Ange Postecoglou’s side, despite back-to-back wins before this match, remain mired in inconsistency, sitting 13th in the table. With their league campaign faltering, next week’s Europa League last-16 clash against AZ Alkmaar is now their best hope of salvaging the season.

City’s Win Offers Hope for Guardiola

While Pep Guardiola’s men still look far from their dominant form of previous seasons, this hard-fought victory provides a much-needed lift after four defeats in their last six games.

With the title race slipping away, City’s focus will now be on securing Champions League football for next season and chasing silverware in the FA Cup.