Erling Haaland scored two goals, one of them with a wonderful back kick after recovering from injury, to give Manchester City victory over Southampton, and continue chasing leaders Arsenal in the Premier League.
The Norwegian forward has reached 30 league goals this season and City have squandered any chance of their rivals trying to pull off an upset at home.
City remained in second place with 67 points, five points behind leaders Arsenal after 29 matches each, while the leaders will play Liverpool on Sunday.
Southampton is bottom of the standings with 23 points, four points ahead of 17th-placed Everton.
Southampton goalkeeper Gavin Bazuno intervened and saved an early attempt from Jack Grealish, and also removed a dangerous ball that was on its way to Haaland.
Southampton player Kamal El Din Suleiman missed an opportunity after City defender Nathan Ake made a great effort to return quickly to stop a counterattack, and before Haaland later succeeded in opening the scoring.
Haaland did not appear affected by the previous injury and opened the scoring just before the break after he received a cross pass from Kevin De Bruyne and scored with his head from close range past goalkeeper Bazuno.
De Bruyne thus reached 100 assists, and the Belgian player showed his usual humility, before admitting later that he was unlikely to succeed in scoring a goal similar to Haaland’s second goal.
“The player is creative and I try to create as many chances as possible,” De Bruyne told the BBC. “It’s great, and maybe when I’m done playing football, I’ll look at what I’ve achieved.”
He added, “Haaland’s second goal I could never score like that. I will be taken to Southampton Hospital if I try to do that.”
Grealish made it 2-0 for City after he took advantage of a wonderful pass from De Bruyne and shot towards goalkeeper Bazono, then followed the rebound and fired into the empty goal from close range in the 58th minute.
Ten minutes later, Grealish launched from the left side and sent a cross, which the Norwegian striker turned into a goal with a stunning back shot.
And after Julian Alvarez participated instead of Haaland, Southampton reduced the difference by substitute Sico Mara in the 72nd minute, but the landowner committed a penalty kick that Alvarez successfully executed.
It is worth noting that De Bruyne is the fifth player in the Premier League era to reach 100 assists, after Ryan Giggs, Cesc Fabregas, Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard.
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