Man City turns corner with successive wins in PL

Associated Press

London: Erling Haaland and Manchester City might just be turning the corner after the team's worst run of results under Pep Guardiola. Haaland scored twice in a 4-1 win over West Ham on Saturday as City secured back-to-back victories in the Premier League for the first time since late October, when a shocking and unthinkable six-week meltdown began. In that time, the defending champions played nine league games and won just once, dropping them out of the Champions League qualification spots and raising questions about Guardiola's stomach for a rebuild.

Now, City can hope for better times ahead especially after making up ground on second-placed Arsenal and fourth-placed Chelsea after they both dropped points in draws at Brighton and Crystal Palace, respectively, on Saturday. Still, Guardiola wasn't gett i n g carried away. “I'm very pleased for the result," he said, “but you cannot ask me if the old City is back. If you saw the game, we are not.” However, while the 2-0 win at Leicester last weekend was unconvincing, there were better signs against West Ham — at least in attack with Haaland looking sharp.

The Norway striker headed in Savinho's cross to make it 2-0 in the 42nd minut e and chipped the goalkeeper for 3-0 in the 55th after running onto another pass from Savinho. Either side, there was an own-goal and a strike from Phil Foden before Niclas Fullkrug pulled one back for West Ham. “We are still not like we were, for different reasons,” Guardiola said. "The result will help. We struggle but it is a release.” City stayed in sixth.