Looking to lay down another marker on Saturday afternoon, Manchester City cruised their way to a routine 4-0 romp against Southampton at the Etihad.
Simply looking to avoid what would have been a major banana skin on home soil, the defending Premier League champions also briefly found a route back to the top of the table ahead of Arsenal’s showdown against Liverpool on Sunday.
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Hardly having to get out of second gear here, goals from Erling Haaland, Joao Cancelo, Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez wrapped up another convincing victory for the English heavyweights as they appear to have really found top gear over the past week.
Piling more pressure onto a Southampton side that find themselves in the midst of another worrying blip, we have taken a look at the main talking points as Manchester City made another statement on Saturday afternoon.
City firing on all cylinders
While Manchester City might have entered September’s international break last month with a 3-0 victory away at Wolves, there is no doubt that Guardiola’s side have really come flying out of the traps since returning from the fortnight interval.
Putting in a famous display at the Etihad last weekend as they marked their return to action with an action-packed 6-3 romp against bitter local rivals Manchester United, the one-time Bayern Munich boss should find the mood in his camp at a red-hot high.
Likewise, making it three Champions League victories on the spin earlier in the week as they breezed past Danish outfit Copenhagen thanks to a 5-0 win on home soil, it is no secret that City are seen as a landslide pick to claim their fifth Premier League title in the space of six years this season.
Putting in another dominant display here as they hit Southampton for four without having to break a sweat, Guardiola’s superstars certainly have their sights firmly set on making real history this time around.
With City’s stacked squad hoping to lift a first European crown this season, Saturday’s hosts appear to be going from strength to strength.
Can anyone in Europe stop Haaland?
While Manchester City might have gained a string of plaudits on either side of the international break, it is their new attacking icon who has only continued to spearhead Guardiola’s free-scoring charge.
Bagging another Champions League brace earlier in the week – despite being dragged off at half-time – Haaland finds himself in the midst of what has been nothing short than a remarkable start to life in the Premier League.
Bagging another trio of strikes at home against Manchester United last weekend and becoming the first Premier League player to bag three consecutive hat-tricks on home soil, there is no doubt that the Norwegian superstar is cruising his way to this season’s Golden Boot.
Adding to his tally here after finally getting himself on the scoresheet in the second-half, the 22-year-old has now notched a remarkable 20 goals across all competitions and has only underlined why many regard him to be world football’s most clinical number nine.
In fact, now bagging a staggering 15 Premier League strikes from just his opening nine appearances and continuing to break domestic records by the week, Haaland has now scored more than double any other player in England’s top-flight.
Pressure remains on Hasenhuttl’s shoulders
While Southampton might have stunned former European champions Chelsea on August 30th as they picked up an eye-catching 2-1 victory on home soil, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men have rather worryingly failed to build off of that display.
Marking their return from September’s international break with a second-half collapse at St. Mary’s as they were eventually hit with a sluggish 2-1 loss at the hands of Everton, it has been suggested over the past week that there is growing pressure on the one-time RB Leipzig boss.
Once again battling it out at the foot of the table and now holding just a one-point buffer from slipping into the drop zone, Southampton failed to ask any real questions on Saturday afternoon.
Outplayed across the Etihad pitch and failing to muster a single shot on target here, Hasenhuttl’s side now find themselves in the midst of a four-match Premier League losing run.
With that downbeat run underlined by back-to-back 1-0 losses against Aston Villa and Wolves last month, the Saints really have the feel of a side seeking some kind of domestic boost.
Southampton will be next seen on October 16th when they welcome West Ham to the south coast for what could be a must-win showdown.
Match Report:
Manchester City: Ederson, Cancelo, Dias, Akanji, Ake, De Bruyne, Rodri, Silva, Mahrez, Haaland, Foden
Subs: Grealish, Alvarez, Gomez, Palmer, Lewis
Southampton: Banzunu, Walker-Peters, Bella-Kotchap, Salisu, Perraud, Ward-Prowse, Diallo, Aribo, A. Armstrong, S. Armstrong, Adams
Subs: Larios, Djenepo, Mara, Elyounoussi
Goals: Cancelo (20′), Foden (32′), Mahrez (49′), Haaland (65′)
Yellow Cards: Walker-Peters
Red Cards: N/A
Referee: Andy Madley
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