Pep Guardiola was proud of Manchester City's fighting spirit after they battled to a 1-0 win at Tottenham and returned to the Premier League's top four. (More Sports News)
Having missed City's back-to-back defeats against Real Madrid and Liverpool with a knee injury, Erling🅰 Haaland scored the only goal of the game from Jeremy Doku's cutback in theܫ 12th minute.
City had to weather plenty of Tottenh⛄am pressure in the second half after dominating the opening period.
Spurs won the expected goals (xG) battle by 1.06 to 0.18 after the break, but Wilson Odobert, Son Heung-min and Paꦗpe Sarr all missed golden opportunities to level.
The result saw City move back ab♊ove Chelsea in the table and go one point behind third-placed Nottingham Forest, who they face in their next league game on 8 March.
Speakꦯing to TNT Sports after the game, Guardiola said: "We're really happy for the victory and for the three points, we need🌃ed it.
"The second h♋alf was really open because we didn't close it down. In the first we h🙈ad too many clear chances and for the quality we have, we had to convert.
"Unfortunately we couldn't and then you know in the♉ second half you are going to suffer, but we did it. The guys fought, but here is always a difficult, dif💮ficult place to come."
Doku was one of City's standout performers, creating clear-cut chances for both S𒉰avinho and Haaland after teeing up the opener, and Guardiola was impressed by both of their wingers.
"We played well with the wingers – Savinho and Jeremy were outstandiꦅng. We did very, very good things. In general, we played a very good game," Guardiola said.
"Jeremy is 🧔direct, he's a threat in the final third. He made an incredible assist, and when a player can dribble they open spaces for other players."
Haaland had a potential second goal disallowed in stoppage time, with a VAR review confirming Jarred Gillett's on-field decision to penalise him for handball as he ඣburst between Archie Gray and൩ Kevin Danso.
"I did𓆏n't see it, but the referee was much💃, much quicker to disallow the goal than the VAR, so he's very clever and fast," Guardiola smiled.
&qꦫuot;In the end we won, so it doesn't matter, but they had 👍one more chance at the end, so it's difficult."
Haaland was more forthright🔜 when asked about his disallowed go♌al, saying the incident could have resulted in a penalty for City.
"I think it's the wrong decision, clearly. I think it's more of a penalty than a free-ki🤪ck, but because he gave the decision on the pitch, that's why he stood by it," 𝕴Haaland said.
"But I don't think that's ever handball. I think it's completely wrong, so that'ওs me. It's more of a penalty, that's my op🍒inion. It was a great goal too, so it's sad."
