Manchester City secured a convincing 4-1 victory against Southampton, with Erling Haaland stealing the show with a spectacular brace.
The Norwegian striker, who recently returned from a groin injury, scored a breathtaking overhead kick and a close-range header to help City maintain their winning streak.
Haaland’s first goal came just before half-time when he met a cross from Kevin De Bruyne with a stooping header. City struggled to find their rhythm in the first half, but Haaland’s goal changed the game’s momentum.
In the second half, City shifted into a higher gear, and Jack Grealish, who has been in impressive form since his move from Aston Villa, scored from close range after his initial shot was saved by Southampton’s goalkeeper, Gavin Bazunu.
Grealish turned provider for City’s third goal, as his cross was met by Haaland with an acrobatic overhead kick that left everyone in awe, including City manager Pep Guardiola, who compared Haaland’s goal to the extraordinary feats of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, whom he had coached during his time at Barcelona.
Haaland was substituted in the 70th minute to manage his workload ahead of City’s upcoming Champions League clash against Bayern Munich.
However, his impact on the game was undeniable, and he received praise from his teammates and manager alike.
Southampton briefly pulled one back through Sekou Mara, who converted a cross from Moussa Djenepo. But City quickly restored their three-goal lead when De Bruyne was fouled inside the box, and he made way for Julian Alvarez to score from the penalty spot.
With this victory, City kept their hopes of a treble alive, as they continue to chase the Premier League title, the Champions League, and the domestic cups.
Meanwhile, Southampton remains rooted to the bottom of the table, four points adrift from safety.
City’s title rivals, Liverpool, will be hoping for a favour from Arsenal when the two teams meet at Anfield on Sunday, as they look to close the gap at the top of the league.
