Erling Haaland scored on his return to action as Manchester City held on for victory against Tottenham Hotspur to improve their hopes of a top-four finish.

City started strongly and went ahead in the 12th minute when Haaland met Jeremy Doku's low cross with a first-time side-footed finish into the bottom corner, having been left unmarked.

Savinho should have doubled City's lead when the lively Doku found him unmarked at the back post, but the Brazilian's shot into the ground bounced over Guglielmo Vicario's goal.

It took the hosts 45 minutes to test City goalkeeper Ederson, who tipped a header from Kevin Danso over the crossbar.

City broke at speed from the resulting corner but Matheus Nunes could not find Omar Marmoush at the back post with the Egyptian left all alone.

After controlling the first half, the visitors faded after the break, with Ederson called into action to prevent Wilson Odobert's deflected effort from looping over him.

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Mathys Tel scuffed a finish with only the goalkeeper to beat as Spurs kept pushing, before substitute Pape Sarr sliced wide from a dangerous cut-back.

Dejan Kulusevski and Son Heung-min came off the bench - both were surprisingly left out of the starting XI by Ange Postecoglou - and their involvement further shifted momentum, with Son denied an equaliser by Ederson following a fast break.

"The game, it was open second half because we didn't close the first. In this stadium always they have 20 to 25 minutes and second half we suffered," Guardiola later explained.

"Never will [we be] the old City this season. Old City were too good, but we will be back."

Haaland was back in the City side after missing the defeat by Real Madrid in Spain and the Premier League home loss to Liverpool.

The fit-again Norwegian thought he had scored a second City goal in stoppage time after bundling past two Tottenham defenders, but referee Jarred Gillett judged that he handled the ball. A VAR check determined there was inconclusive evidence that the on-field decision should be overturned.

Spurs immediately went up the other end and Sarr headed over from the hosts' last chance to equalise.

Victory moves City up to fourth in the table, while Spurs sit 13th.

Manchester City's performances have improved in recent weeks, and for the first time in months they looked something like their usual selves in the opening 45 minutes.

Guardiola's players exacted control and appeared to have a better understanding of when to attack at pace and when to keep possession and slow play down.

February signing Nico Gonzalez played in a more advanced midfield role alongside Mateo Kovacic, with Nunes tucking in from right-back when City had the ball. This was arguably the most successful solution to Rodri's absence that Guardiola has found this season.

City found plenty of joy down the left as Doku, Gonzalez and Josko Gvardiol combined to great effect to create chances, though the finishing touch was more often than not missing.

Even when City flagged in the second half and Tottenham piled on pressure, City avoided the kind of collapse that has become common this season.

Ruben Dias and Abdukodir Khusanov were excellent at the heart of City's defence, while Ederson made key saves to keep the hosts at bay.

The clinical end product from City was lacking for much of the game, however. On another night Tottenham might have punished City late on for their wastefulness in front of goal.

Tottenham left to rue missed chances

Tottenham's improvement in the second half would have been worthy of a goal.

Danso saw a couple of headers saved by Ederson, while Son was unfortunate that Ederson reacted so sharply to his low effort late on.

"In the second half we dominated in all the areas but missed a goal to get something out of the game," Postecoglou told TNT Sports after the game.

"We always knew we would finish strong, we always do, but in the first half we turned the ball over too many times. If you do that against City you allow them to get into a rhythm."

That his side improved before he brought on Son, Kulusevski and Djed Spence will have pleased Postecoglou, who explained the trio were benched because of the team's heavy workload.

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With the likes of Micky van de Ven, Dominic Solanke and Cristian Romero soon to return from injury, Spurs may still be in a good place to finish the season strongly.