Match Report: Manchester City 4-0 Southampton (Premier League)

Manchester City went top of the Premier League table as they comfortably bested Southampton on Saturday afternoon at the Etihad Stadium.

After some early pressure on the Saints’ goal, City took the lead through an excellent solo goal from Joao Cancelo, before an expertly taken chipped shot from Phil Foden doubled their advantage.

Manchester City showed no sign of slowing down after the break, as Riyad Mahrez fired in a third for the Citizens and the inevitable Erling Haaland notched once again, adding to Southampton’s misery.

Saturday’s result ensures that Pep Guardiola’s side remain unbeaten in the Premier League this season, winning seven games and drawing two.

This invincible record stretches all the way back to February, when Manchester City last tasted defeat in the league in an agonising 3-2 stoppage time loss to Tottenham Hotspur.

The game began lively with an early chance for Phil Foden, but former Manchester City goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu - now at Southampton - dealt with the danger adequately.

Bazunu, the youngest goalkeeper in the Premier League, never made an appearance for City during his time with the club, instead spending loan spells at Rochdale and Portsmouth.

The man of the moment, Erling Haaland, then had a shot on Bazunu’s goal after being played in by Kevin De Bruyne, but after the Norwegian was one-on-one with the young keeper, he saw his shot surprisingly strike the instep of the post and rebound out.

It did not take long after this for Manchester City to storm into the lead, with Joao Cancelo running half the length of the pitch up the left wing before finishing with his left foot, slotting past the helpless Bazunu.

The home side soon doubled their lead via academy product and lifelong Manchester City fan, Foden, who magnificently chipped Bazunu following a pass from Kevin De Bruyne, taking his goal tally to eight for the season so far.

De Bruyne’s ninth assist in nine Premier League games was enough to ensure that City headed into the break with a fully deserved two goal advantage.

The second half unsurprisingly began similarly to the first with some early Manchester City pressure leading to several chances for the Premier League champions.

With this energy, the Etihad crowd knew it would not be long before Pep Guardiola’s stars claimed a third goal and this came into fruition by Riyad Mahrez.

An inch-perfect pass from the returning Rodri was brilliantly dispatched by the Algerian winger for his first Premier League goal of the 2022/23 campaign.

Manchester City’s star man Foden was then brought off for the equally on-form Jack Grealish, with Pep Guardiola evidently having an eye on protecting his players ahead of a busy schedule for the Citizens.

After several good chances unusually spurned, Manchester City’s superstar striker finally and somewhat inevitably hit the back of the net after being fed a great cross from Joao Cancelo, meaning that Erling Haaland has now scored in 11 of the 12 matches he has played for the club.

Pep Guardiola had seen enough from his talented squad at this point and the Catalan coach decided to make a triple substitution, bringing on Julian Alvarez, Cole Palmer and Sergio Gomez for the departing De Bruyne, Mahrez and Cancelo.

After more pressure from the home side, Guardiola chose to use his fifth and final substitution of the game by bringing off Bernardo Silva and replacing the Portuguese star with City academy product Rico Lewis.

Manchester City maintained their dominance in the final minutes to close out a convincing win to make sure another three points stayed at the Etihad Stadium.

The victory sends Manchester City top of the Premier League table, leapfrogging previous leaders Arsenal who face Liverpool on Sunday.

Guardiola’s side are back in action on Tuesday with an away Champions League clash with Copenhagen before facing Liverpool themselves in a mouthwatering league clash next weekend.