Manchester Metropolis‘s Erling Haaland scored an early purpose to take the champions provisionally high of the Premier League with a 1-0 victory over lowly Southampton on the Etihad on Saturday.
Pep Guardiola’s staff have 23 factors after 9 video games, two forward of Liverpool, who go to Arsenal on Sunday.
Southampton are nonetheless and not using a win of their first season again within the high flight after a season away and are backside on one level.
“Necessary factor is being there,” Guardiola stated. “We created possibilities. As at all times Erling had two or three clear ones. However I am not involved, it is necessary to have 23 factors now.”
Whereas Haaland scored a stunner in Wednesday’s 5-0 Champions League thrashing of Sparta Prague, he had gone three Premier League video games and not using a purpose however ended that drought within the fifth minute on Saturday.
Wrestling with defender Jan Bednarek, the 24-year-old Norway worldwide, a grasp of scoring from tough angles, stabbed the ball into the roof of the online with a toe whereas falling onto his bottom.
Southampton had a terrific probability to stage proper earlier than the break when Cameron Archer was one-on-one with keeper Éderson — with Saints boss Russell Martin already elevating his arms in celebration — however the ahead smashed his shot in opposition to the bar.
Michael Regan/Getty Photographs
Haaland, whose 11 targets high the league scoring chart, had a flurry of near-misses within the second half, together with a sitter from shut vary that he poked simply huge after which buried his head in his arms in disbelief.
“Immediately it was how good [Southampton] performed with the ball, with the keeper [Aaron Ramsdale] and the motion,” Guardiola stated. “It is a good recreation to study as a supervisor.
“I’m going to study so much with Russell [Martin, Southampton boss] as a result of they did very well. We had been humble and accepted that they did very well.”
The afternoon was a story of groups heading in reverse instructions, with Metropolis stretching their unbeaten streak within the Premier League to 32 video games. They haven’t misplaced a league recreation on the Etihad since a defeat by Brentford in November 2022. Southampton haven’t received at Metropolis since 2004.
The win for Guardiola’s facet was not significantly fairly.
They did simply sufficient to beat a Southampton staff who had been pinned again in their very own half for a lot of the afternoon. Russell Martin’s facet should take consolation from conceding only one purpose after permitting 18 of their earlier eight league matches.
“We’re used to that when groups defend deep in opposition to us which makes it harder, we’ve got to be affected person,” Metropolis midfielder Bernardo Silva stated.
“We had our possibilities to attain three or 4 targets to make it, however [Southampton] deserve loads of credit score for what they did right here as we speak.”
Metropolis hammered the guests with 22 pictures to Saints’ 5.
Martin stated Guardiola and Metropolis ahead Phil Foden approached him with form phrases after the whistle.
“I feel they felt we had been actually courageous with the ball and did some stuff to them that not many groups do,” Martin stated.
“Pep congratulated us with the best way the staff seems and the best way it performs. It isn’t straightforward to play that method and I feel Pep understands that greater than anybody.”