Manchester City 2-0 Everton - Erling Haaland strikes twice to give Champions vital win in Premier League title race

Manchester City returned to the summit of the Premier League table for the first time since November after two Erling Haaland strikes settled a tight game with Everton.

Haaland had barely been in the game, until a booming hit in the 70th minute sent a wave of relief around the Etihad. A loose ball from a corner fell to him seven yards out, and he crashed his shot through Jordan Pickford to give City the lead.

With five minutes to go Haaland settled the match with a barnstorming goal, barrelling through Jarrad Branthwaite before tucking a shot low into the bottom corner.

The first half of the match was a near non-event, as both sides failed to register a shot on target. James Tarkowski, impressive throughout, made a couple of vital blocks when City were in dangerous positions.

City are back on top of the table - albeit before title rivals Liverpool kick off later in the day against Burnley - while Everton remain in the relegation zone.

Momentum is key. Manchester City have now won 10 games in a row in all competitions, with six of those coming in the Premier League. They might only be back on top of the Premier League for a few hours, but they are moving ominously into gear with the final turn of the title race approaching.

For seven ninths of today’s match they were frustrated by a well organised Everton team, but had two cheat codes up their sleeve. Kevin De Bruyne came off the bench and Haaland came to life, as a game that might have ended in a frustrating draw was settled with two classy interventions.

We’ve seen City go on merciless runs on the final stretch before, and they seem to be gearing up for another one here. At the moment it’s still jockeying for position, but with the kind of sustained momentum provided by wins like the one today, it’s going to be a tough ask for anyone to stop City powering to the line in first again.

After 70 minutes the idea of awarding Haaland the Player of the Match would have been laughable, but he is the Premier League’s most dangerous dormant player. He went from invisible to indisputable with two superb finishes, and his quiet spell after returning from injury is now definitively over.

Manchester City: Ederson 6; Akanji 6, Dias 7, Ake 6; Stones 7, Rodri 6; Foden 7, Nunes 5, Alvarez 6, Doku 7, Haaland 8

SUBS: Walker 7, Grealish 6, De Bruyne 7, Bernardo Silva 6

Everton: Pickford 6; Godfrey 7, Tarkowski 7, Branthwaite 6, Mykolenko 6; Young 6, Gueye 6, Garner 5, McNeil 6; Harrison 7; Calvert-Lewin 6

SUBS: Onana 6, Beto 5, Coleman 6, Chermiti 6, Dobbin 6

45+3’ CHANCE! The corner eventually breaks to Akanji, in space and eight yards from goal. He shoots, but a superb diving block from Tarkowski blocks the ball away.

70' GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 1 (HAALAND 70) EVERTON 0 From nothing, City lead! After the second of two corners from the right, Stones wins a header and plants it downwards. The ball ricochets about and breaks to Haaland to the left, who hoses the bouncing ball at goal and through Pickford for the lead!

85' GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 2 (HAALAND 85) EVERTON 0 It's him again! De Bruyne leads a break for City after an Everton move falls apart, and slides a pass through to Haaland. One on one with Branthwaite in the Everton half, Haaland simply barrels through Branthwaite and leaves him on the floor, before tucking a low shot past Pickford. Game done, surely.

90+10' LAST CHANCE With the last kick of the game De Bruyne, through on the right from a long ball, tries to loft it over Pickford and sits the ball on the roof of the net.

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