Manchester City claimed a comfortable 4-1 win against Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday, ahead of their Champions League quarter-final clash with Bayern Munich on Tuesday. The victory sees them close the gap on league leaders Arsenal to five points, as City maintain their pursuit of a treble of trophies.
Grealish gets on the scoresheet with second chance effort
Erling Haaland marked his return to the starting lineup with two goals, taking his tally to 44 goals in a remarkable debut season with the English champions. The Norwegian striker opened the scoring just before half-time with a header, before scoring a spectacular acrobatic overhead kick in the second half. Haaland was substituted before Julian Alvarez scored City’s fourth from the penalty spot.
Jack Grealish also got on the scoresheet, firing in at the second attempt after his first effort was saved by Gavin Bazunu. Kevin De Bruyne brought up a century of Premier League assists in a virtuoso display, as City put on a dominant performance despite conceding a goal to Sekou Mara.
Victory closes gap on league leaders Arsenal to five points
City’s win was functional and efficient, ticking most of the relevant boxes for Pep Guardiola. The victory also allowed for legs to be rested before the crucial Bayern Munich clash. The return of Haaland provided a major boost, as the striker proved to be the difference maker for City once again.
The victory puts City in a strong position as they look on from a position of strength, while their title rivals Arsenal face Liverpool at Anfield hoping to end their away league win drought. Should Arsenal drop points, the title race will be placed in City’s hands, as they continue to push for a historic treble. With the likes of Haaland and Grealish in fine form, City will be confident of maintaining their momentum as they continue to chase down the leaders.
