Premier League: Erling Haaland's Lone Goal Sends Manchester City To Top of EPL

 

Manchester City continued their rock-solid start to the season on the weekend, defeated Southampton at Etihad Stadium to reclaim the top spot of the EPL standings. 

It did not take long before City moved ahead, Matheus Nunes played a precise lofted cross into the box for Erling Haaland to latch on to it. The Norwegian forward finished steering a quick sho into the top of the net. 

City were seeing far more of the ball, with swing crosses and shots off-on from range, as well as chances to score from set pieces especially that from Phil Foden's corner. 

However, City have conceded in each of their last top-flight fixtures in the Premier League, including on home soil against the likes of Ipswich, Brentford and Fulham, but The Saints cant get on the scoresheet at the Etihad, just as they did in their last away fixture at Arsenal. 

In retrospect, they had just emphatically routed Sparta Prague in 5-0 victory in the UEFA Champions League to make it four competitive wins on the bounce. Erling Haaland contributed a brace, the first of two goals on the night wetr from the City's top scorer against the Czech champion. 

Overview

City fairly dominated the from the start needless to say that they could have won by a wider margin had they converted chances had. Good on the side that Haaland gave it the needed goal to lead from the first half to win the game. 

The Saints narrowly could have pulled back especially in the added minutes to the first half when Archer's shot clipped the frames. Though, he had Ederson only to beat on the counter but chose to go for goal and went wrong. 

Though Southampton showcased great team work in play with neat passing moves and also created good chances in a powerful close-range shot, but most effort ricocheted off the crossbar and even thwarted by both strong defense and goalkeeping from City.