Erling Haaland’s double propelled Manchester City to a 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday, shifting them inside one win of a historic fourth consecutive Premier League title.
The defending champions head into the ultimate spherical of video games on Sunday with a two-point lead over second-place Arsenal.
City will face West Ham at residence of their final league recreation, whereas Arsenal host Everton.
“The tennis players say ‘the serve to win Wimbledon,’ the last game, is the most difficult one,” stated City supervisor Pep Guardiola. “We know what we’re playing for. The tension is there, and the rival is so good. It’s why it is difficult, we know that.”
Haaland broke the impasse within the 51st minute at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, changing Kevin De Bruyne’s cross from shut vary.
He struck his second from the penalty spot within the first minute of stoppage time after Pedro Porro had introduced down Jeremy Doku.
The victory means City is answerable for its personal destiny within the race for the title, regardless of being pushed proper to the wire by Arsenal.
Guardiola is now inside touching distance of a sixth league championship in seven seasons.
No different English crew has managed to win 4 top-flight titles in a row, whereas City can be trying to safe back-to-back league and FA Cup doubles.
Going into Tuesday’s recreation one level behind Arsenal, Guardiola had warned his gamers that something apart from most factors would deliver an finish to their dominance of England’s prime division. That solely elevated the stress on his crew, which was additionally trying to finish a four-game shedding run within the league at Spurs.
And the event appeared to get to City’s gamers in a nervous first half.
“They were playing for the consequences of the result. When you do that you are going to lose the Premier League,” Guardiola said. “They are human beings, I perceive the stress.”
Haaland’s purpose six minutes into the second half eased the strain. But whereas his objectives have been decisive, City needed to depend on substitute goalkeeper Stefan Ortega to maintain Spurs at bay as the house crew pushed for an equalizer.
Coming on within the 69th minute after Ederson had sustained a head harm in a collision with Cristian Romero, Ortega shortly needed to block a close-range effort from Dejan Kulusevski.
Later, he produced one other save to disclaim the Spurs ahead, however Ortega’s most interesting second got here within the 86th minute when Son Heung-min raced via on purpose.
With solely the keeper to beat, Son seemed sure to attain as he fired low towards the nook. A draw would have put Arsenal within the driver’s seat for the title heading into Sunday’s season finale – however Son may solely watch as Ortega shot out a leg to deflect the ball.
Guardiola, watching on, had his head in his fingers earlier than falling to the bottom in aid.
Shortly after, Doku lured Porro right into a lunge within the Spurs field, and referee Chris Kavanagh pointed to the spot.
Haaland put the sport past doubt by blasting his shot into the highest nook for his second of the match and thirty eighth of the season.
City’s win additionally meant Aston Villa secured fourth place and qualification for subsequent season’s Champions League forward of Tottenham in fifth.
Source: www.dailysabah.com