Haaland does not stop scoring and collaborates in City’s 4-0 victory over Southampton

With an excellent meeting of Joao CanceloManchester City gained momentum towards the lead after passing over Southampton (4-0), unable to stop the Portuguese whirlwind, author of the goal that opened the scoring and main agitator of the victory of Pep Guardiola’s team.

Especially during the opening act, Cancelo gave a masterful lesson throughout the left zone of the ‘citizen’ attack. No one was able to stop an electric playerinsistent, with an exquisite left foot and capable of ending his rival’s resistance on his own.

But before starting its exhibition, the script proposed a film that said that the City was going to face a rival that usually shows two faces: On a bad day, the Southampton is a disaster and often falls to the ground; On a good day, she’s a tough nut to crack.

We had to wait for what version Ralph Hasenhuttl’s team was going to have in front of them, who the day before were already listening to siren songs against their work on the bench. The Austrian coach, despite the pressure, bet hard with a very advanced pressure from his players could go wrong. At risk were the freeways that sprinters like Erling Haaland or Cancelo could encounter.

And that was exactly what happened. Of the two, it was Cancelo who best took advantage of the facilities that Southampton gave Manchester City. The Portuguese player played a first half to frame it, and put it on video to any aspiring to become a top-level winger.

Cancelo’s name came up constantly. The right zone of Southampton sweated the fat drop to cover the holes generated by the ‘citizen’ player. Because of him, in the first act, Southampton was able to leave with a scandalous win and it was Gavin Bazunu who was responsible for stopping the bleeding with his interventions.

He could not with all the occasions, but he did hold Southampton for a quarter of an hour. In that time, he took a hand off Riyad Mahrez and saved a shot from Phil Foden. Both occasions, came after two plays, of course, by Cancelo.

But, the Portuguese side, in addition, allowed himself the luxury of leaving Haaland alone in a one-on-one that ended with the ball hitting a post and giving Mahrez himself a spectacular pass from the outside, who did not take advantage of a very clear header against Bazunu.

The Southampton supporters held out longer than the United supporters.

RESPECT 🫡 pic.twitter.com/XfbeelkJjV

— Gustavo from ManCityMx (@_ManCityMx) October 8, 2022

In the end, given the lack of effectiveness of his teammates, it was he himself who was in charge of opening the can. After twenty minutes he put the fifth gear, crossed almost the entire Southampton field, sat James Ward-Prose with a jog and, with an unappealable left foot, opened the scoring.

His goal did not stop Manchester City, who had time to get it right for the second time before the break: the connection between Kevin de Bruyne and Phil Foden worked and Guardiola’s team, who came onto the pitch with five new faces compared to the clash against to Copenhagen (Akanji, Aké, De Bruyne, Rodri and Foden), he went to the locker room with the job half done.

Erling Haaland reached 20 goals in a Manchester City shirt.

It only takes 13! matches. 🤯🤖 pic.twitter.com/d4VV92GfSP

— Sudanalytics (@sudanalytics_) October 8, 2022

Then, the clash definitively turned into a raft of oil for City three minutes after the restart, when Mahrez, volleying off a great assist from Rodri Hernández, scored the third.

Now all we had to do was wait for Haaland, who also wanted to sign up for the party. And, of course, it was Cancelo, with an assist from the baseline, who caused the success of the Norwegian, who already has 20 goals in the 13 games he has played this season. It was the perfect ending to a perfect afternoon for Cancelo, who, for once, outshone the ever-ravenous Haaland. Now, City is the leader and Arsenal will have to beat Liverpool to regain first place.

🇧🇻 Erling Haaland is the first player to reach 20 GOALS in the current season. He only needed 13 games. We still haven’t passed the first 10 days of October.

🤯 THIS IS A BARBARITY! pic.twitter.com/NX6akkLfV2

– Joshua Rodriguez (@JosuanRodrigue3) October 8, 2022

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