Erling Haaland was once again Manchester City’s match-winner as his two first-half goals sealed a 3-1 victory over Bournemouth, moving Pep Guardiola’s side up to second in the Premier League.
The Norwegian striker punished Andoni Iraola’s high defensive line twice before Nico O’Reilly added a third after the break. Haaland now has 13 league goals this season and an astonishing 98 in 107 Premier League appearances.
City briefly wobbled when Tyler Adams equalised after Gianluigi Donnarumma failed to deal with a corner, but Haaland quickly restored the lead before half-time. O’Reilly’s late strike, assisted by Phil Foden, sealed the win as City controlled the closing stages.
Guardiola praised his team’s “resilience and energy” after ending a tricky spell, while Haaland joked about fantasy football fans being “unhappy” with his early substitution. The result leaves City six points behind leaders Arsenal ahead of a crucial stretch against Real Madrid and Manchester City.
