Norwegian striker came off injured at half-time in 3-1 win over Aston Villa in Premier League
\n MANCHESTER
\nManchester City manager Pep Guardiola admitted Erling Haaland is a doubt for Wednesday\u2019s top-of-the-table clash against Arsenal after coming off at half-time in a 3-1 win over Aston Villa.
\nCity shrugged off the uncertainty caused by a series of Premier League charges to close to within three points of Arsenal at the top of the table.
\nBut victory came at a cost as the Premier League\u2019s leading goalscorer appeared to pick up a thigh injury as he clashed with Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. \u201cHaaland had a knock, he was uncomfortable,\u201d said Guardiola. \u201cAt 3-0 we don\u2019t want to take risks.
\n\u201cWe\u2019ll see and assess in the next days. If he is not ready, we play another one. Hopefully he\u2019s ready but we will see.\u201d
\nA cloud is hanging over the English champions after the Premier League hit the club with more than 100 charges alleging breaches of financial rules dating as far back as 2009. If found guilty, City could face a severe points deduction or even relegation from the top flight.
\nBut Guardiola came out swinging in defence of the club\u2019s hierarchy as he pointed the finger at jealous rivals for the accusations and his players followed him with a show of defiance on the field.
\nRodri, Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez all struck before half-time at the Etihad to edge ominously into Arsenal\u2019s rear-view mirror. The Gunners still have a game in hand, but City will now move to the top of the table should they win at the Emirates in midweek.
\nArsenal\u2019s 1-1 draw at home to Brentford on Saturday opened the door for City and unlike last weekend, when the defending champions missed the chance to pounce with defeat away to Tottenham, this time they made no mistake.
\nGuardiola also learned his lesson from an experimental line-up at Spurs.
\nRuben Dias, Aymeric Laporte, Kevin De Bruyne and Gundogan were restored to the starting line-up and City looked much more like their old selves.
\nThe City support made their feelings known before kick-off as the Premier League anthem was booed and a banner raised saluting the lawyer the club have hired to defend the charges.
\nJust four minutes in they had something to cheer as Rodri rose highest to power home a header from Mahrez\u2019s corner.
\n\u201cIt was not good enough from us collectively as a team,\u201d said Villa\u2019s goalscorer Ollie Watkins.
\n\u201cDon\u2019t get me wrong, they are world-class players but we were too soft, me especially when Rodri ran past me for that goal. I should have made the second block and I feel I let us down today.\u201d
\nMuch had been made of City\u2019s feeble surrender to Spurs last weekend and the Norwegian was a far more persistent threat in behind the Villa defence.
\nHaaland created the second as his pace beat Martinez to De Bruyne\u2019s ball over the top and he picked out Gundogan at the far post for a simple finish.
\nJack Grealish then lured Jacob Ramsey into a clumsy challenge to win a penalty, which Mahrez slotted home as Haaland surprisingly stepped aside.
\nThat decision was perhaps explained by Haaland\u2019s withdrawal at the break.
\nCity\u2019s defensive record will also be a concern for Guardiola as another clean sheet was ruined when Douglas Luiz robbed Bernardo Silva and freed Watkins to fire into the far corner on the hour mark.
\nVilla substitute Jhon Duran then smashed against the bar in stoppage time, but a second-half rally was too little, too late for Unai Emery\u2019s men.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Norwegian striker came off injured at half-time in 3-1 win over Aston Villa in Premier League MANCHESTER Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola admitted Erling Haaland is a doubt for Wednesday\u2019s top-of-the-table clash against Arsenal after coming off at half-time in a 3-1 win over Aston Villa. City shrugged off the uncertainty caused by a series […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-313632","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n