Erling Haaland’s performance signals a potential resurgence for Manchester City, breaking the team’s disappointing streak under Pep Guardiola.
Erling Haaland delivered an impressive performance, scoring twice to help Manchester City achieve a 4-1 victory over West Ham at the Etihad Stadium. This marks the first time City has secured back-to-back Premier League victories since late October. The defending champions had previously experienced a challenging period, winning only one of their last nine league games, which saw them slip from the Champions League qualification positions.
Despite a lackluster 2-0 win against Leicester the previous week, City’s display against West Ham showed signs of improvement. Haaland’s prowess in front of the goal was evident as he skillfully headed in a cross from Savinho to net the second goal in the 42nd minute. He further cemented City’s lead with a deft chip over the goalkeeper in the 55th minute, again assisted by Savinho. Additional goals came from Phil Foden and an own-goal, while Niclas Fullkrug managed a solitary response for West Ham.
Pep Guardiola maintained a cautious outlook, remarking that while the victory is welcome, “it is happier to win but we are still not like we were, for different reasons.” His assessment reflects an ongoing challenge for City to return to their previous high standard. Meanwhile, Manchester City holds on to sixth place in the league standings.
In contrast, Chelsea’s struggles continued with a 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace, extending their winless streak in the Premier League to four matches. Jean-Philippe Mateta’s late equalizer for Palace overshadowed Cole Palmer’s opening goal. Chelsea’s recent run includes two draws and two losses since December 22, casting doubts on their potential title challenge. Enzo Maresca, the manager, has remained cautious about Chelsea’s chances for the title, and Chelsea winger Jadon Sancho admitted, “We’re still playing the same football, we are still giving 100%. This is what happens in football.” Chelsea remains in fourth place, trailing league leaders Liverpool by nine points, with Liverpool holding two games in hand.
Elsewhere in the league, Newcastle United continued their impressive form with Alexander Isak scoring in his seventh consecutive Premier League match, securing a 2-1 victory over Tottenham. Isak’s decisive goal came in the 38th minute, influenced by a slight deflection from Tottenham’s Radu Drăgușin. Newcastle now enjoys a fifth consecutive win, placing them in fifth. Tottenham’s struggles persist, as they find themselves in the lower half of the standings.
Southampton, under the management of Ivan Juric, faced another setback with a 5-0 defeat at home to Brentford. This loss marked Southampton’s third consecutive defeat, leaving them at the bottom of the league. Bryan Mbeumo’s two goals contributed to Brentford’s dominant display, bringing his season tally to 13 goals.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa defeated Leicester 2-1, and Bournemouth celebrated a narrow 1-0 victory over Everton, extending their unbeaten run to eight games.
Manchester City’s recent wins hint at a revival, yet Guardiola stresses that there’s still progress to be made. As City targets improvement, Chelsea’s ongoing challenges remind us of the competitive and unpredictable nature of football.
Source: News4jax