Haaland’s goals help to win over Leicester 3:1 and cut the gap from Premier League leaders Arsenal to three points.
There are three changes to City’s starting line-up compared to the 3-0 win over Bayern in midweek. Aymeric Laporte, Kyle Walker and Riyad Mahrez all get their chances.
New Foxes boss Dean Smith brings in Çaglar Soyunçu, Harry Souttar, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Youri Tielemans.
The visitors don’t hang on for five minutes at the Etihad. John Stones scoops up a rebound on the approach side of the penalty area and immediately shoots into the right-hand corner of the goal for 1-0.
City continue to apply pressure and soon Wilfred Ndidi stops Jack Grealish’s shot with his hand in his own penalty area. Erling Haaland confidently converts a VAR penalty to make it 2-0.
There’s no point in Leicester sitting back now. But as soon as the Foxes start to open up, they get a stark counterattack on their own goal. Kevin de Bruyne intercepts the ball in his own half, moves forward and then sends Haaland into the breakthrough, who clips the ball in front of the goalkeeper to make it 3-0.
At half-time, Josep Guardiola replaces Stones with Haaland before removing Rodri and de Bruyne from the field to preserve his leaders for the return visit to Bayern.
It is clear from the play in the second half that both teams no longer want anything. City are saturated with three goals and Leicester no longer believe in themselves.
In the end, the Cityzens relax so much that they allow their opponents to score one goal. In the 75th minute, Kelechi Iheanacho gets the ball into the net after Ederson and a defender stop Souttar’s header to make it 3-1.
In the 85th minute, James Maddison can cut the difference to the minimum, but Ederson makes a brilliant save after the Englishman goes one-on-one on the right-hand edge of the penalty area.
In stoppage time, Iheanacho is fouled on the bar from distance. That’s the end of the game.
City have 25 minutes to decide the fate of this match. From there, the Cityzens allow themselves to relax — perhaps a little too much — but Leicester are too weak to get back into the game. So Haaland’s goals help to win over Leicester