Haaland at it again as Man City cut gap to Arsenal
17 April 2023
Manchester City\'s Erling Braut Haaland celebrates scoring their third goal against Leicester City during the Premier League football match at Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain on Saturday. Agency photo
Agency :
Manchester City goal machine Erling Haaland reached yet another milestone in his incredible debut season in the Premier League when his two goals helped his side to beat Leicester City 3-1 and move to within three points of leaders Arsenal on Saturday.
The Norwegian's brace took his tally to 32 goals for the season, equalling the record total for a 38-game season, with reigning champions City still having eight league games remaining.
In the race to finish in the top four, third-placed Newcastle United slumped to a 3-0 defeat at a resurgent Aston Villa but were relieved when fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur later went down 3-2 at home to relegation battlers Bournemouth.
Frank Lampard suffered a third consecutive defeat since returning to Chelsea as interim manager in the wake of Graham Potter's sacking, his side losing 2-1 at home to a Brighton & Hove Albion side still in the hunt for European qualification.
Southampton's 10-year stay in the top flight is in grave danger of ending as the bottom club went down 2-0 at home to almost-safe Crystal Palace for whom Eberechi Eze scored twice to maintain Roy Hodgson's 100 percent record since taking charge.
Fourth-from-bottom Everton remain in the mire after losing 3-1 at home to Fulham.
Wolverhampton Wanderers hoisted themselves further clear of the relegation zone with a 2-0 home win against Brentford.
With Arsenal in action at West Ham United on Sunday, Manchester City seized their chance to apply more pressure by dismantling 19th-placed Leicester before halftime.
City now have 70 points from 30 games with Arsenal on 73.
Defender John Stones fired City ahead from close range in the fifth minute and Haaland made it 2-0 with a penalty seven minutes later after a handball by Wilfred Ndidi.
Haaland chipped in his second in the 25th minute after Kevin De Bruyne's set up, the goal taking him level with Mo Salah's record for a 38-game Premier League campaign. He now has 47 goals from all competitions this season.
Leicester managed a consolation goal from Kelechi Iheanacho but by that stage City, who took Haaland off at halftime, were already setting their sights on next week's Champions League quarter-final second leg away at Bayern Munich where they will start with a 3-0 advantage.
"The game was tricky in the last 20 minutes. But the first 55, 60 minutes was good," Pep Guardiola, who racked up his 150th home win in charge of City, said.
