Manchester City edged closer to Premier League glory with a gritty 2-0 win over Tottenham. Erling Haaland's late goal and Stefan Ortega's heroics proved decisive, breaking Arsenal hearts.
Manchester City took a monumental step towards their fourth consecutive Premier League title with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad Stadium. While the performance may have lacked the fluidity and dominance that City fans have grown accustomed to, the result was all that mattered in this pivotal clash.
Pep Guardiola's side had to grind out the win, with Erling Haaland's late goal and a crucial penalty save from substitute goalkeeper Stefan Ortega proving decisive in breaking the hearts of Arsenal fans who had dared to dream of a title triumph.
The match began with Tottenham putting City under sustained pressure, forcing Ederson into action and dispelling any notion that they would roll over to avoid handing Arsenal a boost in the title race. However, it was City who came closest to opening the scoring before the break, with Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva denied by superb saves from Guglielmo Vicario.
The tension was punctured after the restart as Kevin De Bruyne provided a moment of inspiration, setting up Haaland for a tap-in to give City the lead. The goal changed the atmosphere in the stadium, but City's path to victory was far from smooth.
Ederson's injury-enforced substitution saw Stefan Ortega thrust into the spotlight, and the German goalkeeper rose to the occasion, producing crucial saves to deny Dejan Kulusevski and Son Heung-min in the closing stages. Spurs were punished for their missed opportunities when Pedro Porro fouled Jeremy Doku in the box, and Haaland stepped up to convert the penalty and seal an ugly but vital three points for City.
While Guardiola won't have been delighted by aspects of his side's display, the result leaves City two points clear at the top, needing only a win against West Ham on the final day to secure a fourth-straight Premier League title.
