Erling Haaland’s double and Stefan Ortega’s excellent save helped Manchester Metropolis beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 and guarantee Pep Guardiola’s crew head into the ultimate day of the season main the Premier League.
Haaland, who had opened the scoring with a tap-in on 51 minutes, slammed in a stoppage-time penalty to ship the travelling Metropolis supporters into delirium at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
That spot-kick adopted on from a beautiful save by substitute goalkeeper Ortega, who denied Son Heung-min a sure equaliser.
However with Haaland’s two targets, Metropolis – now on 88 factors, two away from Arsenal – are on the cusp of an unprecedented fourth straight Premier League title, whereas Spurs’ UEFA Champions League hopes are over.
How the match unfolded
Ederson was pressured into motion after simply six minutes as Rodrigo Bentancur received on the top of Brennan Johnson’s cutback, together with his strike from simply outdoors the penalty space was tipped over by Metropolis’s goalkeeper.
The most effective probability of the half fell to Phil Foden, who – within the sixteenth minute – latched on to a poor clearance from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, however his close-range volley was fantastically stored out by Guglielmo Vicario.
It took Metropolis lower than two minutes to check Vicario as soon as once more after the break as he made a wonderful diving save to palm away Kevin De Bruyne’s curling effort from the sting of the field.
However Vicario had no probability 4 minutes later – Haaland tapping into an empty internet after latching onto De Bruyne’s drilled supply.
Ederson needed to be taken off after a nasty conflict with Cristian Romero, and whereas Metropolis’s goalkeeper was annoyed, his stand-in Ortega turned in a incredible cameo.
Having twice denied Dejan Kulusevski from shut vary, Ortega then stood up brilliantly when one-on-one with Son.
It’s a save that may simply win Metropolis the league – Haaland subsequently ensuring of the factors after Jeremy Doku was introduced down by Pedro Porro, leaving the reigning champions, who face West Ham United on Sunday, getting ready to glory once more.
De Bruyne supplies the spark however Ortega the unlikely hero
When Metropolis wanted the breakthrough, it was no shock to see De Bruyne present it when he crossed for Haaland to complete. The Belgian has now created 10+ assists in six totally different Premier League seasons, the joint-most alongside Cesc Fabregas in Premier League historical past.
De Bruyne has now assisted Haaland 12 occasions within the Premier League, essentially the most from one participant to a different within the competitors within the final two seasons.
Haaland, in the meantime, is the primary Metropolis participant to attain a brace away to Spurs within the Premier League since Edin Dzeko in August 2011.
But for the efforts of the attackers, it was Ortega who got here up big with these large stops and that save from Son prone to go down in Metropolis folklore.
Spurs’ defensive woes proceed
Metropolis solely managed two photographs within the opening 45 minutes – solely in opposition to Aston Villa in December (two) have they’d as few photographs within the first half of a Premier League match this season.
But the hosts ultimately got here undone, that means Ange Postecoglou’s crew have conceded in every of their final 10 matches within the Premier League, their longest run with out a clear sheet within the competitors since September-December 2019 (additionally 10).
After failing to safe the three factors wanted, Spurs are actually unable to catch Villa in fourth place, with Unai Emery’s crew claiming fourth spot and a Champions League place.
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Key details
Man Metropolis will sit prime of the Premier League desk heading into the ultimate day of the season for the sixth time within the final seven seasons (exception 2019/20), happening to win the title in every of these earlier campaigns.
Spurs are actually assured to complete outdoors of the highest 4 positions within the Premier League for the fourth time within the final 5 seasons, after ending within the Champions League spots in every of Mauricio Pochettino’s ultimate 4 full campaigns in cost (2015/16 – 2018/19).
Guardiola’s aspect are actually unbeaten in 22 consecutive Premier League matches (W18 D4), together with all 18 in 2024 (W15 D3). Nonetheless, the final two groups to have loved such an extended unbeaten begin to a calendar yr have did not go on to win the title in that very same season (Liverpool in 2022 and Chelsea in 2008, each second).
None of Spurs’ 19 residence league matches completed as a draw this season (W13 L6), the primary crew to go a full residence Premier League marketing campaign with none of their matches ending stage since Man Metropolis in 2018/19 (W18 L1). It’s the first time in Spurs’ historical past that they’ve not drawn at residence as soon as in a single league marketing campaign.