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LONDON: Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has become the second player to score at least 20 goals in each of his first three Premier League campaigns.

The reigning champions beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 and moved back up to fourth in the league.

Haaland, who returned to action after missing Sunday’s 2-0 defeat to Liverpool due to a knee injury, finished off Jeremy Doku’s pass in the 12th minute.

The Norwegian had a chance to add to the tally but Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario did a brilliant job denying several of his attempts as well as those from Doku and Savinho.

Haaland’s stoppage-time goal was also ruled out for offside. Tottenham came close to equalising after that, but Pape Matar Sarr’s header went over the bar.

City managed to avoid a third defeat at the hands of Tottenham this season and jumped to fourth place with 47 points after 27 matches.

Haaland has now scored 83 Premier League goals in 92 games for Manchester City.

“Of course it’s not good to be injured and not be able to play, but it’s about looking ahead and staying positive. We can only do things for now and the future, today it’s about winning.

“I try to stay in the box and if someone wants to pass the ball to me, I’ll try to put it in the net,” Haaland said.

Another player to score 20 goals or more in his first three Premier League seasons was Ruud van Nistelrooy for Manchester United from the 2001 to 2004 seasons.

LONDON: Bukayo Saka will be sidelined for another eight weeks, further worsening the injury crisis Arsenal are currently facing.

After the team confirmed they were out of Kai Havertz until the end of the season following a hamstring injury that required surgery, Saka is only expected to return in mid-April.

Although Saka appears to be undergoing a recovery process, Mikel Arteta does not want to take any risks until the player is completely fit.

Arsenal currently only have Leandro Trossard, Raheem Sterling and teenage player Ethan Nwaneri in attack.

Arteta’s refusal to force Saka back will see the player sidelined for a total of four months.

Arsenal previously confirmed that Havertz will need surgery after suffering an injury during a training session in Dubai last week.

Arteta, who has already lost Gabriel Jesus, will also be without Gabriel Martinelli, who will be sidelined for a month.

MANCHESTER, England: Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola could not explain another late slump as his team lost 3-2 at home to Real Madrid in the Champions League play-offs early this morning.

Brahim Diaz and Jude Bellingham scored late goals to erase City’s 2-1 lead, Bellingham scoring the winner in the 92nd minute at the Etihad Stadium as the mood turned from joyous to frustrated.

“We arrived at the last minute with a result and we couldn’t keep it,” Guardiola told a news conference.

“After 2-1, many games it happened, against Feyenoord in the Champions League (City led 3-0 in the 74th minute but were forced to draw 3-3), against Brentford in the Premier League, against Manchester United, many games we ended up conceding,” he said.

“Unfortunately it’s happened too often, it’s difficult.”

Erling Haaland’s two goals, including an 80th-minute penalty, saw City eye victory over the reigning champions and La Liga leaders but a clear lead means nothing to Guardiola’s side this season, who sit fifth in the Premier League.

They conceded seven goals in the last 15 minutes of Champions League action this season.

However, Guardiola said the responsibility “belongs to everyone, not just the players.”

“I have no problem accepting it. To blame a particular player, it’s ridiculous. It’s all of us, me first. Of course the players too,” he said.

“They wanted it, how they ran, how they did it, but the fact is we weren’t stable enough in that crucial moment.”

NYON: Two-time Europa League champions Porto will face two-time finalists AS Roma in the knockout play-offs after the draw took place here today.

Porto, who were champions in 2003 and 2011, last met Roma in the last 16 of the 2019 Champions League, which saw the Portuguese club record a victory.

Meanwhile, Fenerbahce from Turkey will meet Belgian club Anderlecht, while another Turkish Super League representative, Galatasaray, will face AZ Alkmaar from the Netherlands.

Ajax Amsterdam, champions in 1992, are scheduled to face Union SG, while FC Twente will face Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt.

The top eight teams automatically qualify for the last 16, while teams finishing ninth to 24th will have to compete in a return playoff.

Two giant English Premier League clubs, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, who are among the top favorites to win this tournament, have already automatically advanced to the last 16.

United and Spurs could face the winner of the clash between Midtjylland and Real Sociedad, or the winner of AZ Alkmaar’s match against Galatasaray.

Results

Europa League playoff draw

FC Twente vs Bodo/Glimt

Union SG vs Ajax Amsterdam

AZ Alkmaar vs Galatasaray

Ferencvaros vs Viktoria Plzen

Fenerbahce vs Anderlecht

PAOK vs Steaua Bucharest

Midtjylland vs Real Sociedad

Porto vs AS Roma

Note: The first match will be held on February 13 and the second match on February 20.

MADRID: Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti was delighted with Kylian Mbappe’s display as the France forward struck twice in a 4-1 win over Las Palmas that lifted the champions to the top of La Liga.

The Italian manager said he never doubted the 26-year-old’s ability to play as the main striker even though Mbappe had a slow start in Madrid since arriving from Paris Saint-Germain.

“Mbappe is the best center forward in the world, there is no doubt about his ability to play in that position.

“He is a great striker who is very good in the middle (of attack), compared to the wings, because that way he can exploit his unique runs, with speed and technique,” said Ancelotti.

After a tough week that saw Real suffer a stifling 5-2 loss to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup and a 5-2 extra-time win over Celta Vigo to reach the quarter-finals of the King of Spain’s Cup, Real were shocked with a 25-second goal by Las Palmas.

However, with Mbappe’s help, they recovered and took advantage of Atletico Madrid’s 1-0 defeat at Leganes on Saturday to return to the top of the league.

Real are now top of La Liga on 46 points, two ahead of neighbors Madrid, with Barcelona in third seven points behind after being tied 1-1 by Getafe.