Erling Haaland scored for the first time since November as
the Manchester City striker's double fired the champions to the top of the
Premier League with a gritty 2-0 win against Everton on Saturday.
Pep Guardiola's side were well
below their best as they labored to break down stubborn Everton at a
nervous Etihad Stadium. But Haaland struck twice late in the second half to
get back on the score sheet for the first time since returning from an absence
of nearly two months due to a foot injury.
They were the Norway star's
first Premier League goals since he netted against Liverpool on November 25th and
his first in five games in all competitions since he scored against Leipzig in
the Champions League on November 28th.
City are back on top of the table for the first time since
November 24th, but Liverpool, who are one point behind in second place, will
return to the summit if they beat lowly Burnley at Anfield later on Saturday. Guardiola's men have won their last 10 games in all competitions, but
the Spaniard might be a little concerned with the laborious way they took to
the task against struggling Everton.
City are unbeaten in their last 22 league games at the Etihad, but
third bottom Everton didn't make it easy for them. Everton's haven't beaten City since 2017 but
Guardiola had painful memories of a 1-1 draw against the Merseyside’s last
season and had urged his players not to let their guard down.
City monopolized over 80 percent of the possession in
the first half an hour, they found it impossible to pries open Everton's massed
defence. Julian Alvarez and Phil Foden
had shots blocked as Everton threw themselves into
tackles with abandon. Haaland stretched to head over from Jeremy Doku's cross
when Foden was lurking in a more
dangerous position behind the striker.
Guardiola cut an anxious figure on the touchline,
constantly gesticulating towards his players in a bid to get them to pass
quicker and with more precision. Everton keeper Jordan Pickford raced off his line to
beat Matheus Nunes to the ball right on the edge of the area.
There was a warning for City
when Jack Harrison blasted over from Ashley Young's cross. When the ball dropped kindly for Manuel Akanji inside the Everton area, the
City defender looked certain to break the deadlock, but James Tarkowski made a
last-ditch block as VAR ignored the hosts' appeals for handball.
It was the first time City had failed to have a shot on target in the first half of
a home league game since August 2022. As City's angst mounted, Rodri's woeful
long-range strike sailed into the stands to the sound of frustrated groans from
home fans.
Guardiola had seen enough of
City's struggles and sent on Kevin De Bruyne and Kyle Walker early in the second half. City
belatedly found some rhythm and their longest wait for a shot on target in a
league game since September 2021 finally ended in the 71st minute.
Everton made a hash of clearing a corner and the ball broke for
Haaland, whose fierce strike deflected in off Pickford's leg to spark
wild celebrations from the Norwegian and his relieved team-mates. Guardiola
this week said you don't need a Harvard education to understand the threat posed by Haaland and De Bruyne.
Everton clearly hadn't studied hard enough on
that subject as De Bruyne's precise pass sent Haaland motoring towards goal.
Over-powering Jarrad Branthwaite, Haaland left the Everton defender flailing on the turf as
he sprinted clear to slot a cool finish past Pickford as he marked his 50th Premier League start in style.
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