Erling Haaland marked his return to Manchester City’s lineup with two crucial goals, securing a 2-0 victory over Everton in the Premier League. The Norwegian striker broke Everton’s resilient defense in the 71st minute with a powerful right-footed shot. His second goal came in the 85th minute from a swift counterattack initiated by Kevin De Bruyne’s pass. Haaland’s brace elevated him to the league’s top scorer with 16 goals, surpassing Mohamed Salah by two goals.
This win, City’s sixth consecutive league victory and 10th in all competitions, was hard-fought. Everton’s goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford, remained largely untested in the first half due to solid defense. However, the introduction of De Bruyne injected urgency into City’s attack, leading to the breakthrough goal. Ruben Dias’ header, deflected off Everton defenders, fell to Haaland, who capitalized on the opportunity.City’s defensive resilience held firm as Everton pressed for an equalizer, allowing them to exploit gaps in Everton’s defense for the second goal. With this win, City closed the gap on league leaders Liverpool, who were set to play Burnley later in the day.Looking ahead, City will shift their focus to the Champions League, facing FC Copenhagen in the round of 16 on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Everton, currently languishing in the relegation zone, continues to face challenges, compounded by a 10-point deduction for financial mismanagement earlier in the season.
