Published on 8 Oct 2022 7:44 pm (UK Time)
Erling Haaland was on the scoresheet once again as Manchester City thumped Southampton 4-0 to leapfrog league leaders Arsenal.
Pep Guardiola’s side could have been ahead merely minutes into the game when Bazunu denied Mahrez from close range following a dangerous cross into the box from Joao Cancelo.
The Portuguese was a threat throughout the game, and it was the full-back who opened the scoring for the home side in the twentieth minute after evading James Ward-Prowse with some excellent trickery.
Their lead was then doubled just 12 minutes later when Phil Foden dinked the ball over the Southampton goalkeeper after a delightful pass from Kevin De Bruyne.
The game would get no easier for the Saints in the second half, with Riyad Mahrez adding a third for Pep Guardiola’s side just four minutes after the restart. Then, the inevitable happened. After a clever one-two with Kevin De Bruyne, Cancelo rolled the ball into the box and Haaland was there to sweep it home and wrap up the game for Man City.
The result means Manchester City have now won their last three Premier League games, and are sat at the top of the Premier League table. For Southampton though, it is now four consecutive defeats and Ralf Hasenhuttl’s side are currently languishing in 16th place.
Manchester City Thrash Southampton 4-0
What Did the Managers Have to Say?
In his post-match interview, Pep Guardiola was clearly impressed with the way in which his side defended, saying: “We created a lot of chances, and conceded almost none”.
The statistics support that observation too, with the Saints failing to register a single shot on target during the 90 minutes.
The Spaniard will be hoping that his side can continue that defensive astuteness throughout the season, given that prior to this game, Man City had conceded nine goals in just eight Premier League games.
Of course with Haaland in the side, they can rely on outscoring the opponent more often than not, but Guardiola is a perfectionist, and he will want to see that same level of defensive solidity on a more regular basis.
Erling Haaland Scores Again
At this point, can we even class Haaland as human? Cyborg seems like a more accurate description of the Norweigian striker who has now scored 14 Premier League goals in just eight games.
If that wasn’t enough, the 22-year-old’s goal against Southampton also saw him become just the second Manchester City player ever to score in ten consecutive games for the club.
It is no longer a question of whether or not Haaland can meet expectations and win the Premier League Golden Boot, but rather, how many goals will Erling Haaland be clear of his closest rival for the prize?
Southampton Cannot Find That Winning Formula
There is no shame in losing to Manchester City; they are arguably the best team in world football.
However, what is a problem is the fact that the Saints have now lost their last four Premier League games in a row – a run of form which has seen them slip to 16th in the table, just one point clear of 18th-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Ralf Hasenhuttl has done an excellent job for the club on the whole and is unlikely to come under serious pressure anytime soon. However, Southampton’s form needs to improve quickly if they are to avoid being dragged into the relegation battle later on in the campaign.
Starting Eleven’s
Manchester City: Ederson; Akanji; Dias; Ake; Cancelo; De Bruyne; Rodri; Silva; Mahrez; Foden; Haaland
Substitutes: Grealish (58′); Alvarez (70′); Gomez (70′); Palmer (70′); Lewis (78′)
Southampton: Bazunu; Walker-Peters; Kotchap; Salisu; Perraud; Ward-Prowse; Diallo; S. Armstrong; A. Armstrong; Aribo; Adams
Substitutes: Mara (79′); Djenepo (66′); Elyounoussi (66′); Larlos (79′)
Thank you for reading. For more of our latest football content, click here
