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| Erling Haaland of Manchester City during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Southampton FC at Etihad Stadium on October 8, 2022 in Manchester, United Kingdom. |
Erling Haaland scored his 20th goal for Manchester City as his side overwhelmed Southampton to move to the top of the Premier League.
Southampton were routed by the defending champions to move to the top of the Premier League. It took only 13 games for the 22-year-old Norway striker to achieve that mark in all competitions, reflecting the difficulty of containing him or his team-mates.
City attacked with reckless abandon from the start, but Haaland was inches away from a goal when he struck the post after bursting clear.
Joao Cancelo put the visitors ahead when he ran onto Phil Foden's pass, cut past James Ward-Prowse, and finished. Foden scored his second of the night soon after when he dinked the ball into the net after Kevin de Bruyne found him in space.
That gave the home side a two-goal lead at half-time, and they sealed the win early in the second half when Mahrez volleyed the ball into the net.
The only thing missing for the home fans was another Haaland goal, and for once it appeared it might not be his day.
Haaland was unable to get on the end De Bruyne’s cross under pressure from Mohammed Salisu, and then brilliantly denied by Bazunu, who dived at his feet as he charged through at goal.
As the chances kept coming however, you just knew Haaland would take one – and so he did, meeting Cancelo’s cutback with a typically precise low finish to make it 4-0 after 65 minutes.
Southampton, who managed only one touch in the City area and a total of two shots – both from distance, and both off target – never looked like avoiding a fourth-straight defeat.
