London,
Tuesday, 15 May, 2024
McCreadie Andias
Gunners fans may have been starting to dream about having a first PL title in 20 years in their grasp, but Erling Haaland emphatically burst that bubble with a goal of brilliant simplicity.
Kevin De Bruyne perfectly timed his run from Bernardo Silva’s pass, and laid the ball on a plate for the prolific Norwegian to score from point-blank range.
Such was the mental conflict among the home supporters, anti-Arsenal chants began to ring around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after their side fell behind, with a select few even adopting City’s ‘Poznan’ celebration.
Pep Guardiola’s side were not having everything their own way here though, as Ederson was forced off following a hefty collision with Cristian Romero, and Stefan Ortega entered the fray.
The German was involved in the thick of the action almost immediately, denying Dejan Kulusevski at his near post to preserve City’s slender lead. Ortega’s telling moment was still to come, as he brilliantly denied Son Heung-min in a one-on-one situation after Manuel Akanji had been caught in possession – undoubtedly inciting rage among Arsenal fans the world over.
Destiny appeared to be on City’s side, a sense that was confirmed when Pedro Porro brought down Jérémy Doku in the box, and Haaland made no mistake in dispatching the subsequent spot-kick to leave the title looming large.
Guardiola’s stand on the verge of an unprecedented fourth PL title in a row, while, this defeat for Spurs mathematically ends their UCL hopes, and will be forced to settle for fifth place and a spot in next season’s UEFA Europa League.