Erling Haaland, who scored a goal, but could have scored a hat trick if he had not missed two chances into an empty net, gave Manchester City the victory against Southampton and puts pressure on Liverpool, who will lose the lead this Sunday if they do not win to Arsenal.
Pep Guardiola’s team, after beating Sparta Prague in the Champions League during the week, made four changes to the lineup, rewarding Matheus Nunes, who gave two assists and scored a goal against the Czechs.
Matheus Nunes was important again with an assist
And the Portuguese responded. From his boots City’s 1-0 was born, in a cross that Haaland caught against all odds. Because Jan Bednarek was grabbing the Norwegian and he still managed to finish the ball, in a less acrobatic and aesthetic way than in his goal with his heel against Sparta Prague, but just as effective. If he hadn’t scored, it would have probably been a penalty from the Swedish defender.
With only five minutes elapsed, City had already done the most difficult thing and set about dominating, without any chances, until practically the stoppage time of the first half, when the clearest chance for Southampton arrived and in fact the only one of the match.
An error in the release of the ball by the ‘Sky Blues’ meant that Cameron Archer was able to enter the area alone and take a bursting shot that crashed into the crossbar.
The wood of Ederson’s goal shook and the Etihad trembled, seeing how fragile the result was, so his team came out to bite in the second half and deserved to easily increase the score. Phil Foden gave the first warning, with a low shot that went close to the post, but Haaland was the one who should have sealed the game.
First he got a header on the goal line and then he missed two shots into an empty goal, both of them only finishing at the far post, one with his left foot and the other with his head. The Norwegian, who had already broken a streak of three days without scoring a goal, could not believe the two goals that had escaped him.
It was a perfect opportunity to increase their lead in the competition’s Golden Boot, but Haaland and City had to settle for 1-0. A short result, but sufficient, even more so after playing in the Champions League during the week, with the fatigue that entails.
Guardiola’s men have 23 points out of a possible 27 and are two above Liverpool, who will have to visit Arsenal this Sunday in the Premier League match of the day.
Technical sheet
1 – Manchester City: Ederson; Lewis (Stones, m.97), Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Kovacic, Nunes (Gundogan, m.86), Silva; Foden, Savinho and Haaland.
0 – Southampton: Ramsdale; Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Stephens, Manning (Bree, m.77); Dibling (Armstrong, m.46), Downes (Sulemana, m.87), Fernandes, Lallana (Aribo, m.60); and Archer (Onuachu, m.87).
Goals: 1-0, m.5: Haaland.
Referee: Tony Harrington cautioned Kovacic (m.88) for Manchester City and Downes (m.42), Martin (m.43), Armstrong (m.48) and Lallana (m.56) for Southampton.
Incidents: Match corresponding to the ninth day of the Premier League played at the Etihad Stadium (Manchester).
#Haaland #puts #pressure #Liverpool #City #sleeps #leader
