It's fair to say Manchester City have a chequered history with this stadium. For years it was a story of red cards, missed penalties and a stunning inability to even score a goal. All of that agony was probably worth it for the ecstasy here nine months ago, but with City and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, it always feels like a twist is coming. It was a midweek night last May when City essentially clinched the title here. Stefan Ortega emerged as the unexpected hero, his late save setting up a glorious romp in the sunshine a few days later to secure four in a row. Five of the team that started that night were back in the team on Wednesday, but it increasingly feels like the sun is setting on some City careers. The more recent comparison is the Carabao Cup visit here at the end of October, from which there were only three survivors. It was a much-changed team that night, with Guardiola almost sacrificing the competition as injuries began to bite. His side had gone into the game with 10 wins and a draw from the first 14 competitive fixtures of the season, and nobody saw that cup exit precipitating the kind of collapse that followed. City lost 14 of their next 27 games as their season unravelled. What this stadium gives with one hand, it takes with the other, and that defeat wasn't just a single loss. It was the start of something terminal for this season, at least, and for this team. Even shafts of light recently have simply turned out to be another train hurtling towards the tunnel. The 4-0 win against Newcastle, rather than being the start of a fightback, was followed by limp defeats to Real Madrid and Liverpool . But gradually, things have been improving, and a team showing its age is beginning to look more youthful. Only two players on Wednesday were in their 30s, and one of them was 31-year-old goalkeeper Ederson (the other was 30-year-old midfielder Mateo Kovacic). The other nine were all under 27, and for the fourth game in a row, three of the four January arrivals were in the team. Nico Gonzalez is trying to fill that Rodri-shaped role in midfield, Omar Marmoush has brought a freshness to the attack, and after a horror start, Abdukodir Khusanov has settled in well in defence. Maybe that nightmare run that began here four months ago can end here as well? This victory should have been more comfortable after a dominant start, but City showed resilience and intelligence to ride out a second-half storm and make sure Erling Haaland's early goal was the match-winner. Haaland had already tested Guglielmo Vicario with a volley from a Matheus Nunes cross, which came after a good City move. The one that broke the deadlock was brilliant in its execution. When the ball was played into Omar Marmoush's feet deep inside his own and close to the right touchline, there was little on, but the £60million attacker slipped his man with a brilliant turn, and the burgundy shirts came to life. Savinho carried it infield, and Haaland helped it on to Nico Gonzalez, who went wide to Jeremy Doku. By now Spurs were struggling to keep up and Doku's low cross was neatly finished by Haaland to cap a piece of flowing football. It was refreshing for City to be slicing through someone else's midfield, and they looked to be enjoying it. Doku, in particular, thrived against a defence that conceded space. He danced across the penalty area and away from four Tottenham defenders before a low shot forced Vicario into a save at full stretch. The Belgian had the beating of Pedro Porro, twisting him inside and out, but he also had the awareness of when that wasn't required. An early left-footed cross set up a golden chance for an unmarked Savinho, but his volley bounced into the ground and over the bar. Doku was creating almost every chance and another low cross then saw Haaland denied from eight yards by the legs of Vicario. City had the run of the game at this point, but that level of domination rarely lasts. As the first half ticked by, Tottenham began to settle, with Ederson's first call into serious action to touch over a Kevin Danso header at the stroke of half-time. The tide was turning more convincingly after the break. Wilson Odobert put one wide on the stretch from Porro's cross, then had a shot loop up off Matheus Nunes, which Ederson had to turn behind. A quadruple change from Ange Postecoglou sought to build on that momentum, and one of the new men, Pape Matar Sarr, wasted a chance when he flashed a shot out for a throw when well-placed 15 yards from goal. Tottenham's best chance fell to Son Heung-Min seven minutes from time. At the same end that he was denied by Stefan Ortega last season, Ederson this time dived low to his left to push away his shot. It wasn't a save with as much riding on it, but just like Ortega's it did preserve the points for City. For their quality in the first half and their character in the second, it was a win they deserved, and one they will hope they can finally build on.