Manchester City 1, Southampton 0
Erling Haaland’s 5th minute goal set City on their way but the Blues failed to capitalise on their early start against Southampton.
Haaland and Phil Foden had several chances to score more goals but failed to put the Saints away in a forgettable afternoon at the Etihad.
City did at least record a first Premier League clean sheet since the opening weekend of the season against Chelsea.
Cameron Archer hit the crossbar while Adam Armstrong went close with a couple of chances as the Saints remained unbowed while City toiled and survived a late surge by the visitors.
PLAYER RATINGS – Manchester City 1, Southampton 0
Ederson: 7. Didn’t have much to do but tried his best to put off Cameron Archer who hit his crossbar when clean through. Saved from Adam Armstrong.
Rico Lewis: 7. Pushed up high and won the ball back.
Manuel Akanji: 7. Not much of a challenge from the Southampton forwards. Late long range shot saved and an injury time clearance.
Ruben Dias: 7. Early shot saved by Aaron Ramsdale.
Josko Gvardiol: 7. Fully involved going forward. Solid defending.
Mateo Kovacic: 7. Buzzed around midfield disrupting Southampton and had a shot saved by Aaron Ramsdale.
Phil Foden: 7. Full of energy and almost created a chance for Erling Haaland. Shot wide early in the second half and good set pieces.
Bernardo Silva: 7. Opportunities to create chances in small spaces as Southampton dithered.
Savinho: 8. Lively game. Confident enough to have a few shots, stretched his legs in the second half and put some good crosses in.
Matheus Nunes: 7. Confidence rising for the midfielder, playing off the left again. Laid on Erling Haaland’s opening goal and went close with a shot of his own. Couple of errors in the second half though.
Erling Haaland: 7. Another acrobatic goal for the Norwegian – 14 for the season now – and could have been more. Header cleared off the line by Taylor Harwood-Bellis and somehow sent another wide of the near post after meeting a driven cross and an injury time effort smothered by Aaron Ramsdale.
Ilkay Gundogan (on for Matheus Nunes, 86): No time to mark.
John Stones (on for Rico Lewis 90+6): No time to mark
GOALS – Manchester City 1, Southampton 0
Man City 1, Southampton 0: 5. Erling Haaland’s half volley opened the scoring after he beat his marker to Matheus Nunes’ lofted cross to the edge of the 6 yard box.
MATCH STATS – Manchester City 1, Southampton 0
Man City: Ederson, Lewis (Stones 90+5), Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Kovacic, Foden, Bernardo Silva, Savinho, Nunes (Gundogan 86), Haaland
Man City Subs not used: Ortega, Carson, Ake, O’Reilly, McAtee
Booking: Kovacic 88 (foul on Kyle Walker-Peters)
Goal: Haaland 5
Southampton: Ramsdale, Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Stephens, Manning (Bree 77), Dibling (Armstrong 46), Downes (Sulemana 87), Lallana (Aribo 59), Fernandes, Archer (Onuachu 87)
Southampton Subs not used: McCarthy, Sugawara, Cornet, Ugochukwu
Bookings: Downes 42 (foul on Bernardo Silva); Armstrong 48 (foul on Matheus Nunes); Lallana 56 (unsporting behaviour)
Manager Booking: Russell Martin 43 (dissent)
Referee: Tony Harrington