Manchester City have returned to the top of the Premier League with a narrow 1-0 win over Southampton on Saturday.
Pep Guardiola’s side struck the opener within five minutes, with Erling Haaland scoring to break his three-game league goal drought.
The Citizens looked on course for an emphatic win but they couldn’t add to the scoreline after the early strike.
Southampton defended impressively but City also missed some very good chances, with Haaland the main culprit.
It was far from a convincing victory but Pep Guardiola will be happy with the result that returned them to the top of the table ahead of Liverpool’s trip to Arsenal.
Haaland scored the decisive goal but the Norwegian was also guilty of squandering big chances in Saturday’s game.
Matheus Nunes, who arrived at City in 2023 for £53 million, was arguably the best performer against the Saints.
The 26-year-old set up Haaland with a brilliant cross early on, bagging his fourth assist of the season.
He was a constant threat throughout the match and also posted impressive numbers.
Nunes had 79 touches and completed 53 of his 58 passes. The midfielder also registered two key passes and completed 100% long balls and 100% aerial duels.
He lost possession on 14 occasions but made a tackle, a clearance and an interception.
Nunes hasn’t been a regular starter this season but his excellent performance on Saturday could see Guardiola giving him more first-team opportunities over the coming weeks.
Stats from Sofascore
