Manchester City remains on course for a fourth consecutive Premier League title after a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur, breaking a streak of four consecutive away defeats in their head-to-head matches and putting a big dent in Arsenal’s hopes of a first title in 20 years.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou dismissed suggestions that Spurs fans might prefer their team to lose to prevent arch-rivals Arsenal from winning the title.

With a UEFA Champions League place still in play, Rodrigo Bentancur signalled Spurs’ intent early on with a dipping effort that Ederson tipped over.

Tottenham displayed positive attacking football but nearly conceded when Phil Foden pounced on Pierre-Emile Højbjerg’s miskick, forcing a superb save from Guglielmo Vicario.

The match, however, lacked a flurry of chances as both teams struggled to find their rhythm. Joško Gvardiol’s shot over the bar from Kyle Walker’s cross epitomised the lacklustre first half.

Hopes for an Arsenal title were dashed when Erling Haaland scored a straightforward goal after Kevin De Bruyne timed his run perfectly from Bernardo Silva’s pass.

Amid mental conflict among home supporters, some fans mocked Arsenal by adopting City’s ‘Poznan’ celebration after Spurs fell behind.

City did not have it all their way; Ederson had to leave the game following a collision with Cristian Romero, bringing Stefan Ortega into the match.

Ortega quickly made his presence felt by denying Dejan Kulusevski at the near post and later brilliantly stopping Son Heung-min one-on-one after Manuel Akanji lost possession.

City’s destiny seemed sealed when Pedro Porro fouled Jérémy Doku in the box, allowing Haaland to score the penalty, solidifying the title chase.

Guardiola’s team now stands on the verge of an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title, while Spurs, with this defeat, see their Champions League hopes dashed, settling for fifth place and a spot in next season’s UEFA Europa League.