Manchester City closed the gap to leaders Arsenal on Saturday, with a 4-1 win against Southampton in the Premier League.
The returning Erling Haaland netted twice to move on to 30 league goals for the season, while Jack Grealish and Julian Alvarez also got on the scoresheet on the south coast.
It was a frustrating first half for City, who weren’t at their best and lacked their usual fluidity and rhythm. Grealish had the best of the team’s early chances when his curling effort was saved by Gavin Bazunu, while the Irish keeper wasn’t troubled by headers from Ilkay Gundogan and Haaland.
At the other, Kamaldeen Sulemana caused City a few issues, with Nathan Ake tracking back to stop the Southampton winger from getting a clean strike on goal from a counter-attack, while Sulemana shot wide in the latter stages of the opening 45 minutes.
Just on the stoke of half-time, the champions made Southampton pay for spurning that chance. Kevin De Bruyne received the ball in a wide area and he arced a superb cross into the box, where a waiting Haaland nodded it into the back of the opposition goal.
City started the second period better and Gungodan went close with a strike that whipped just past the far post, before Grealish made it 2-0 on 58 minutes. The wideman latched onto De Bruyne’s through ball and fired at Bazunu, who got a hand to the shot, but the ball bounced back into Grealish’s path and he tapped it into the back of the net.
Haaland then produced the standout goal of the game when he netted an audacious scissor kick from a Grealish cross. The Norwegian connected perfectly with the ball and it flew past Bazunu in the home. Southampton responded well to that, with Sekou Mara finishing off a free-flowing team move by placing the ball past Ederson.
City quickly restored their three-goal lead when Kyle Walker-Peters fouled De Bruyne in the Southampton box. It was Alvarez who stepped up and fired the ball into the back of the net.
From there, the game petered out, but Jan Bednarek did clear Bernardo Silva’s shot off the line. Here’s how werated the City players...
1. Ederson- 6
Didn’t have much to do and could do little about Mara’s goal.
2. John Stones-6 (off 57)
Helped City keep possession as he stepped into midfield.
3. Manuel Akanji- 6
Had a few issues up against Sulemana but grew into the game.
4. Ruben Dias- 6
Didn’t have much to deal with but always looked in control.