Manchester City vs Southampton LIVE: Premier League result, score and reaction after Haaland winner
Follow all the reaction after City beat Saints
Manchester City beat Southampton today in the Premier League to move top of the table - at least until Sunday, when rivals Arsenal and Liverpool face off in North London.
City would certainly have expected victory against winless Saints and that duly arrived, but by a narrower scoreline than some imagined, with Erling Haaland’s fifth-minute goal the only one of the game in a 1-0 win for Pep Guardiola’s team. Matheus Nunes continued his recent good run with another assist for the striker, but the league’s top scorer spurned several chances to add to his tally.
Saints will feel the result is far from their worst of the campaign but they remain down at the foot of the table and without a win, needing a quick pickup if they’re not to make an immediate return to the Championship
Follow the latest reaction from the Premier League below:
Manchester City vs Southampton
Gvardiol tries his luck from distance after being given plenty time and space, but the defenders shot flies way over the Southampton crossbar.
Manchester City vs Southampton
NO PENALTY! VAR agree with the decision on the pitch and it's just a City corner. It would've been a bit harsh, Harwood-Bellis couldn't really get his arm out of way from such close range.
Manchester City vs Southampton
PENALTY CHECK! Bernardo Silva races forward down the left wing, gets past Walker-Peters and tries to feed Haaland in the box, but Harwood-Bellis gets across and makes a great block to turn it out of play for a corner. As he went to ground, the ball struck his leg and then arm, so VAR are going to take a look. The referee said no penalty.
Manchester City vs Southampton
It's fairly quiet inside the Ethiad at the moment, with neither side really threatening in front of goal. City look comfortable, but they aren't passing the ball quick enough to open Saints up at the back.
Manchester City vs Southampton
City are camped inside the Saints half at the moment, winning a number of consecutive corners to put pressure on the visitors defence. However, they defend well and eventually clear the danger and give themselves a bit of a breather.
Manchester City vs Southampton
We're at the half an hour mark now and it's City who lead 1-0 thanks to Haaland's strike after just five minutes. They hosts have controlled much of the game, but Southampton have defended well and prevented anymore goalscoring chances.
Manchester City vs Southampton
Southampton lose the ball in a dangerous position and Savinho races forward with it on the counter, he cuts inside and tries to get a shot away, but the visitors get enough players back to crowd the winger out and prevent the shot.
Manchester City vs Southampton
Southampton have lost seven of their eight Premier League games this season, drawing the other against Ipswich in September. It’s just the second time the Saints have ever failed to win their opening eight matches of a league campaign, after 1998-99 (first 9).
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