Haaland netted early in the first half in west London to give City a third win in their last four Premier League games.
The peerless 25-year-old already has 12 goals in nine appearances in all competitions this season, plus six in two matches for Norway, with Tottenham the only team to stop him scoring in the current campaign.
City survived a second-half dip to move into fifth place in the Premier League.
“He has been so important this season for us I would say. We need more goals from the other ones but the chances were there,” City boss Pep Guardiola said.
Guardiola’s side are unbeaten in their last seven games in all competitions since losing at Brighton in August.
City still trail leaders Arsenal by three points but they go into the international break with renewed impetus after a slow start to the season.
The only concern for Guardiola was the sight of Rodri being forced off with a first-half injury after appearing to damage his hamstring.
The Spain midfielder has struggled to finish games since coming back at the Club World Cup in the summer following anterior cruciate ligament surgery.
Rodri, who won the prestigious Ballon d’Or after his brilliant form in 2024, only managed to play for an hour against Monaco after sitting out City’s two previous fixtures.
“Hopefully, it will not be huge,” Guardiola said of Rodri’s latest injury.
Haaland had been in typically clinical form in the 2-2 draw at Monaco on Wednesday, Guardiola’s men twice squandered the lead as they conceded a last-gasp equaliser.
They wouldn’t repeat their Champions League mistakes as they secured Guardiola’s 250th Premier League victory.
It has taken Guardiola just 349 matches to reach the milestone, while the next fastest pair, Alex Ferguson at Manchester United and Arsene Wenger at Arsenal, both took more than 400.
Meanwhile, Newcastle beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 to extend Ange Postecoglou’s wait for a win, while Crystal Palace’s 19-game unbeaten run was ended by Jack Grealish’s late winner for Everton.
Postecoglou faced calls from the Forest fans for him to be sacked after just six games in the closing stages of Thursday’s 3-2 Europa League defeat to Midtjylland.
The Australian is the first Forest boss in over 100 years to fail to win in his first seven games and now faces an anxious wait to see if club owner Evangelos Marinakis decides to make another managerial change over the international break.
Newcastle had only won one of their opening six Premier League games. (AFP)
