10 February 2024 , 15:45
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Manchester City managed just two shots on target - but that’s all they need when Erling Haaland’s around.
Everton made Pep Guardiola’s men toil for 70 minutes. But then Haaland twice got the chance to stare into the whites of Jordan Pickford’s eyes - and it was game over.
They were the Norwegian’s first goals since November, when a troublesome stress fracture of his foot sidelined him for two months and left the rest of Guardiola’s superstar team to deal with the business of making sure their bid for a fourth title remained on track. Yet he is still out on his own in his bid to claim a second successive Golden Boot.
This was his 50th league start for the champions - and he now has 52 goals.
The Norwegian has 21 for the campaign - and if Guardiola can keep Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne healthy between now and the start of June then the odds on City landing another Treble will continue to shrink.
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City looked anything but champions in the first 45 minutes, when they failed to muster a single shot on target in the opening half of a Premier League game at the Etihad for the first time since August 2022.
But Sean Dyche, forced to watch from the directors’ box after being banned for picking up three yellow cards, only needed to take a glance at the team-sheet to know the job wasn’t even close to being done.
With a Champions League trip to Copenhagen looming, Guardiola had opted to leave De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Jack Grealish and Kyle Walker on the bench. It wouldn’t have taken the City boss long to know that Plan A wasn’t working. When De Bruyne and Walker were sent on with the game still deadlocked just before the hour, the shift in momentum was clear
And Everton’s hopes of taking a precious point back to Merseyside in their bid to escape the bottom three duly disappeared when Haaland fired the home team ahead with 20 minutes left.
Erling Haaland of Manchester City celebrates with team mates after scoring his team's first goalJames Tarkowski managed to block a meaty downward header by Ruben Dias with his knees when Julian Alvarez sent a corner into the heart of the visitors’ penalty area.
But when Jarrad Branthwaite’s scuffed clearance fell to Haaland 10 yards out, a mighty swing of the Norwegian’s right foot sent the ball crashing into the top corner off Pickford’;s fingertips.
Dyche’s options on the bench were limited to say the least and Haaland’s opener sucked all the resistance out of his team.
City’s 10th successive victory in all competitions was duly sealed five minutes from time. Nathan Ake broke up an Everton attack to find De Bruyne in space and the Belgian instantly sent Haaland into a race with Branthwaite with a pass through the middle.
Branthwaite thought he had the City striker where he wanted him. But Haaland used his muscle to send the young defender sprawling before luring Pickford forward to sweep a left-footed finish into the bottom corner.
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