Haaland is used to being the hero for whatever club he is playing for at the moment. The one-of-a-kind Norwegian striker has already cemented himself as one of the best players of the game to ever exist, breaking Premier League and Bundesliga records – and he is still only in his young 20s.
This kind of generational talent doesn’t come around very often, so Pep Guardiola paid a hefty transfer fee for this kid coming from Borussia Dortmund. But the money and investment has paid off, as Haaland has continually scored goals for Manchester City during tough times.
And one of those tough moments was against Tottenham Hotspurs to seal a win, secure three points, and put City back on top of the PL table to remove Arsenal from the throne.
Haaland Goals Put Man City Back on Top
Stefan Ortega Moreno. Phenomenal. pic.twitter.com/0QOPtAsRR7
— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 14, 2024
Erling Haaland scored twice in an away game to secure the win against Tottenham Hotspurs, earn three points, and move up to first place in the PL table after Arsenal had held the spot for weeks. It was a long time coming, as City had one game in hand and was slowly catching up to the Gunners after every favorable result went their way.
It helped, too, that Son, the Tottenham captain, missed a huge chance for the Spurs in the 86th minute. If he had scored, the score would have been 1-1, meaning that City would only earn one point in the game, or Tottenham could even come back to win it.
But, Son missed a one-on-one with the City goalkeeper, Ortega, giving Pep’s side hope to win the game – and that they did.
Haaland scored early in the second half off of an incredible pass by the ever-illustrious Kevin DeBruyne. The linkup play between the midfielder and the prolific striker has been a sight to see this season for City.
Then, in the 88th minute, Haaland buried a penalty kick after Doku was brought down inside of Spurs’ penalty area. He calmly and cooly slotted the ball home to secure the three points for City during a tense moment.
During the game, City had only eight shots and five shots on frame, with Spurs’ defense doing well to limit the City squad in terms of opportunities and breakthroughs on goal. Spurs had the same number of shots on target, showing just how even the match was until the end. Tottenham also had more possession and more passes than City, which is rare for this Mancunian side.
Even with better stats, Haaland’s uncanny goal-scoring ability and poaching in front of the goal proved to be too much for Tottenham in the long run.
Also Read: Arsenal Fans Blast Tottenham’s Star Forward For Missing a Sitter Against Man City in 2-0 Defeat
Manchester City Moving Forward
Now, City has just one game left in the PL season. City face off against West Ham on Monday, May 20th, in the biggest day of the season. Arsenal play Everton at the same time on Monday, May 20th, to see who will win the EPL.
If they win, they win the league. If they draw, and Arsenal FC win, they are even on points. Currently, Arsenal has one more point in goal differential with 61 and City has 60.
The title race will truly come down to the last day in terms of results, goals scored, and points.
About the Author
Emma is an athlete and sports fan who currently plays professional soccer. Growing up, she reached a high level in track and field, distance running, and soccer on both club and university teams.
