Manchester City

João Cancelo (20') · Phil Foden (32') · Riyad Mahrez (49') · Erling Haaland (65').

"We made a step back, possession is not usually an issue. Not with the ball though, we played too risky. "It was a difficult game, we made it easy by scoring early and then we controlled. I am not unhappy with the effort and bravery we showed. Last season we suffered a lot against them but today we were much better," City boss Pep Guardiola said. [Riyad Mahrez](https://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/163940/Riyad-Mahrez) made it three early in the second half before Haaland scored his customary goal to make it four.

Manchester City beat Southampton 4-0 in the Premier League on Saturday to move top of the table before Arsenal face Liverpool on Sunday.

You have to be very brave, we did it two times in the first half and gave them chances. "It's better to be early there and go early. It's fine, after three days a game, the players react and behave again like who they are." In the end he was there to score it. He helped to keep the ball, fight. He said: "In general we played good, a team we struggled [against] last season, every time we played them.

Whereas Messi could 'do it all himself', Haaland needs his team-mates to create for him. A 21-pass move against Southampton showed how...

They were 2-0 down at half-time and had been rushing their passes to the big Norwegian, but after the break they got better all over the pitch, were more patient, and fed him for a 19-minute hat-trick. Messi had the ability for himself to do it.” “The difference is that Erling needs maybe all his mates, you know, to do it.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has praised the manner in which his star-studded squad have embraced the arrival of Erling Haaland without getting ...

We are fortunate to have this talent with us.” He smells it. It is instinct, completely natural. It is impossible. He has an incredible sense as a striker of where the ball is going to finish and he goes one second before the ball arrives,” added Guardiola. Under Guardiola, City have won the Premier League four times in the last five years among nine major trophies.

Erling Haaland increased his goal tally, but Joao Cancelo was arguably the top Manchester City performer in a 4-0 win over Southampton.

With Haaland as a team-mate and De Bruyne getting even better, it wouldn't be a surprise if that record is smashed this term. It might not have been another hat-trick but it was another game when he was crucial in the final third. Of course, Erling Haaland was eventually on the scoresheet but by then the game was long over.