Manchester City on Saturday swept to the top of the English Premier League with a 4-0 rout of Southampton as Erling Haaland extended his incredible scoring run to 10 successive games, while resurgent Chelsea eased to a 3-0 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Joao Cancelo, Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez all netted for manager Pep Guardiola’s side before Haaland added his customary goal to seal yet another one-sided success at the Etihad Stadium.
Haaland has scored an astonishing 20 goals in his first 12 competitive games since his move from Borussia Dortmund.
Photo: AP
Fuelled by the Norway striker, City are the first club to score at least three goals in nine consecutive top-flight home matches since Wolves in 1959.
Guardiola’s remarkable team have only lost one of their last 37 league games. City have scored 24 goals in their past six games, winning eight of their past nine across all competitions.
In stark contrast to City’s blistering form, Southampton’s fifth successive defeat added to mounting pressure on manager Ralph Hasenhuttl.
City opened the scoring in the 20th minute as Joao Cancelo weaved through the Southampton defense, evaded James Ward-Prowse’s challenge and fired through the legs of keeper Gavin Bazunu.
Phil Foden doubled City’s lead as he ran onto Kevin de Bruyne’s pass and clipped a deft lob over Bazunu into the far corner after 32 minutes.
Riyad Mahrez put the result beyond doubt in the 49th minute. The Algerian winger met Rodri’s cross with a clinical volley from a tight angle.
Inevitably, Haaland was not to be denied and he finished off Cancelo’s pass with a typically ruthless close-range effort in the 65th minute.
“I am so upset with him. He didn’t score three goals,” Guardiola joked about Haaland.
“Expectations of him are so high that people expect he is going to score three or four goals every game, but in the end he was there and scored. He has done it and helped us again,” Guardiola said.
At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea racked up a third win in head coach Graham Potter’s first four games since replacing Thomas Tuchel.
Potter made seven changes after the midweek UEFA Champions League victory over AC Milan, with Reece James, Raheem Sterling and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang among those rested.
Showing the depth of their squad, Chelsea took the lead when Kai Havertz netted 3 minutes into first half stoppage-time with a looping header from Mason Mount’s pin-point cross.
Christian Pulisic put Chelsea in complete control with a cute finish after exchanging passes with Mount in the 54th minute.
Armando Broja grabbed his first goal for Chelsea with a long drive in the 90th minute.
After their spluttering form at the end of Tuchel’s reign, Chelsea are up to fourth place.
“I don’t think we can succeed with just 11 players. It’s not right just to play 11 until they fall down and get injured,” Potter said. “When you’re playing three games a week, you’ve got to make decisions around fresh players, when players are determined and desperate to play.”
Tottenham Hotspur are three points behind Manchester City after Harry Kane secured a 1-0 win at Brighton & Hove Albion, while AFC Bournemouth put under-fire Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers back on the hot seat with a 2-1 win at Dean Court.
Fifth-placed Newcastle United thrashed Brentford 5-1 at St James’ Park.
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