Spurs goalless in final home game as title-chasing Man City win 2-0

Title-chasing Manchester City beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 on Tuesday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, allowing Spurs zero goals in their final home game of the season.

Manchester City's Stefan Ortega, right, saves a shot by Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England on Tuesday. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Title-chasing Manchester City beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 on Tuesday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, allowing Spurs zero goals in their final home game of the season as Pep Guardiola’s defending champions moved to the top of the table ahead of the final game of the season.

Man City striker Erling Haaland, the Premier League’s top scorer by six goals as of press time, did it again — and again — scoring a double to earn City a crucial three points that give them the advantage over No. 2 Arsenal as they head into their final matches of the 2023-24 Premier League season.

It was a well-matched affair, with Tottenham keeping possession for 54 percent of a game that demanded big saves from the goalkeepers on either side of the pitch.

“I thought it was a tight game,” Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou said in a post-match press conference. “I don’t think they dominated us at any point. Probably towards the end, when we had to open up a bit to try and equalize, but up until the first goal, we were well in the game, in some areas we were more dominant.”

Neither side managed to score in the first half, but City were quick to make it 1-0 after the break, Haaland knocking in an easy shot from a skip’s distance to the net off of a Kevin De Bruyne cross — City keeping possession thanks to a quick recovery by Bernardo Silva, who had sent the ball down the right.

Manchester City's Erling Haaland, right, scores his side's first goal during the match against Tottenham Hotspur at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England on Tuesday. [AP/YONHAP]

Spurs forward Son Heung-min had perhaps the chance of the night for an equalizer, racing down the pitch in the 86th minute with only City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega between the ball and a wide-open net, but Ortega deflected the shot with his foot to stop the home side’s chance of salvaging at least a draw.

“You bank on Sonny, but like I said, the big moments we didn’t sort of come up with it today. It wasn’t just him,” Postecoglou said. “I was real disappointed with their first goal. We just lacked some discipline again. It’s kind of been the story of our season where we just haven’t capitalized on big moments and lacked some discipline in our football.”

Haaland solidified City’s win in stoppage time with a penalty, denying Spurs any points from their last bout at home.

A draw might not have gotten Spurs closer to the UEFA Champions League, having entered Tuesday’s game with a chance, albeit slim, of qualification still alive, but it could have meant giving No. 2 Arsenal — Spurs’ longtime north London rivals — the advantage heading into the title-deciding match.

Spurs will take a spot in next season’s Europa League, one tier below the Champions League, after Tuesday’s loss, which officially cut loose their hopes for a fourth-place finish over Aston Villa and a return to European football’s biggest competition.

Tottenham take on last-place Sheffield United, who will be relegated to the Championship, in their final game of the Premier League season on Sunday at Bramall Lane in Sheffield, England.

BY MARY YANG [mary.yang@joongang.co.kr]