There is little chance of Manchester City going away. A win that ended in total comfort ticked most of the relevant boxes for Pep Guardiola, the outcome effectively sealed by the hour and ensuring legs could be rested before Bayern Munich pitch up at the Etihad on Tuesday.
More pertinently to the task in hand, they can now look on from a position of strength as Arsenal attempt to banish their Anfield hoodoo. Should their title rivals drop points, the outcome of the race will be placed in City’s hands.
It became the most functional of victories over a Southampton side that pushed gamely during the opening period but are staring relegation in the face. But it contained beauty, too, in the form of a sublime third goal from Erling Haaland. Until then the returning Norwegian had done as he tends to, operating on the periphery but livening up to open the scoring just as Guardiola appeared to be facing a problem. His next major contribution was the game’s standout moment and a thrilling reminder that City possess the league’s most potent weapon.
When Jack Grealish, who had doubled City’s lead 10 minutes previously in a continuation of his own stellar form, danced inside from the left there was space at the far post beyond Armand Bella-Kotchap. It was duly located, Grealish weighting his cross perfectly for Haaland, watching it all the way, to contrive a scissor kick of balletic contortion and savage execution. Few centre-forwards of 6ft 5in can contort long limbs so gracefully but Haaland, as his manager reminded everyone afterwards, is not any old striker.
“Amazing,” Guardiola said of the finish. “It is not easy to pick the ball up in the sky and put it on the grass. The first half was not our best level but he changed the game. As a top scorer we lived two incredible decades with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, but he is on that level.”
Guardiola clarified he was crediting Haaland’s phenomenal goal record rather than suggesting his all-round package was comparable with that of, in particular, Messi. He also pointed out that maintaining this rate will be another test altogether. Haaland now has 30 top-flight goals this season and will surely beat the 34-goal record Alan Shearer and Andy Cole share for the Premier League era.
His 29th came at the end of a low-key half from City, who had not kicked on after Grealish forced an early save from Gavin Bazunu. Shortly before scoring, Haaland had nodded wide in what proved a warning shot. He went one better when Grealish won possession back before finding Kevin De Bruyne on the left. De Bruyne’s cross was insouciant but deadly, inviting Haaland to maraud on to the floating ball and head in emphatically.
It was De Bruyne’s 100th Premier League assist, making him the quickest player to reach that tally by a margin of 56 games from Cesc Fabregas. “Kevin is back,” smiled Guardiola, who was frustrated with his playmaker’s form earlier in the spring. Just before the hour his point was reiterated, De Bruyne receiving the ball from Haaland and slipping a perfect pass left for Grealish. While Bazunu repelled the first attempt, Grealish jabbed in the loose ball to give City breathing space.
Haaland then stole the show and was immediately replaced by Julián Álvarez. He might have smarted at missing out on the chance to score a hat-trick six minutes later, when Jan Bednarek fouled De Bruyne in the area. Álvarez rammed in the spot kick and the rest of City’s afternoon was an exercise in keep-ball, their supporters able to run through a repertoire of songs hailing old favourites.
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Between the third and fourth goals, the Saints substitute Sékou Mara had found time and space to convert after a dancing run from his fellow replacement Moussa Djenepo. But their goose was already cooked and they could only content themselves with a decent first half in which they harried intensely and could even have taken the lead. Kamaldeen Sulemana, a constant livewire, ran the length of the pitch after a sloppy City corner but did not take his chance to shoot and allowed Ederson to salvage the situation. “We are still there, we are still alive,” said their manager Rubén Sellés, but they need points rather than plaudits. The St Mary’s stands are hardly pulsating with belief.
Those at the Etihad might soon if Arsenal flounder on Easter Sunday. “I would like to be in the position Arsenal are in,” Guardiola said. “I would love that.” He may yet get his wish.
