Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester City v Southampton - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - October 26, 2024 Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates scoring their first goal with Manchester City's Phil Foden Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith
MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) -Manchester City's Erling Haaland scored an early goal to take the champions provisionally top of the Premier League with a 1-0 victory over Southampton on Saturday at Etihad Stadium that had boss Pep Guardiola praising their last-placed opponents.
City are two points ahead of Liverpool, who are second and visit fourth-placed Arsenal on Sunday. Southampton are still without a win in their first campaign back in the top flight after a season away and sit bottom on one point.
"Important thing is being there," Guardiola said. "We created chances. As always Erling had two or three clear ones. But I'm not concerned, it's important to have 23 points now."
While Haaland scored a stunner in Wednesday's 5-0 Champions League thrashing of Sparta Prague, he had gone three Premier League games without a goal but ended that drought in the fifth minute on Saturday.
Wrestling with defender Jan Bednarek, the 24-year-old Norwegian, a master of scoring from difficult angles, stabbed the ball into the roof of the net with a toe while falling onto his backside.
Southampton had a terrific chance to level right before the break when Cameron Archer was one-on-one with keeper Ederson -- and on the sidelines Martin already had his hands raised in celebration -- but the forward smashed his shot against the bar.
Haaland, whose 11 goals top the league scoring chart, had a flurry of near-misses in the second half, including a sitter from close range that he poked just wide and then buried his head in his hands in disbelief.
"Today it was how good (Southampton) played with the ball, with the keeper (Aaron Ramsdale) and the movement," Guardiola said. "It's a good game to learn as a manager.
"I am going to learn a lot with Russell (Martin, Southampton boss) because they did really well. We were humble and accepted that they did really well."
POLES APART
The afternoon was a tale of teams heading in opposite directions, with City stretching their unbeaten streak in the Premier League to 32 games. They have not lost a league game at the Etihad since a defeat by Brentford in November 2022.
Southampton have not won at City since 2004.
The win for Guardiola's side was not particularly pretty.
They did just enough to beat a Southampton team who were pinned back in their own half for much of the afternoon. Martin's side will have to take comfort from conceding just one goal after allowing 18 in their previous eight league matches.
"We're used to that when teams defend deep against us which makes it more difficult, we have to be patient," City midfielder Bernardo Silva said.
"We had our chances to score three or four goals to make it, but (Southampton) deserve a lot of credit for what they did here today."
City hammered the visitors with 22 shots to Saints' five.
Martin said Guardiola and City forward Phil Foden approached him with kind words after the whistle.
"I think they felt we were really brave with the ball and did some stuff to them that not many teams do," Martin said.
"Pep congratulated us with the way the team looks and the way it plays. It's not easy to play that way and I think Pep understands that more than anyone."
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; Editing by Ken Ferris)
