But what threatened to be the biggest mismatch in the division was decided by a lone goal. Southampton left the Etihad Stadium unbloodied but with one point to show from their nine games. Manchester City departed top of the league.
Much as the scoreline suggested Southampton surpassed expectations, there was still a predictability. A home match against a lesser side can come with the guarantee of a City win, the near-guarantee of an Erling Haaland goal. The surprise may be that the Norwegian got only one. Haaland has had an intriguing week, scoring one of his most remarkable goals, with his spectacular volley against Sparta Prague, but missing several simpler chances. He has three goals to show for two games at the Etihad Stadium but could have had hat-tricks in each.
He has not been clinical but, on Wednesday, Pep Guardiola noted one of the idiosyncratic features of Haaland’s game. If the Norwegian has very few touches, a very high percentage of them can be shots. Even as Southampton sought to crowd him out, with three centre-backs in a packed penalty area, as Haaland had only 20 touches, eight of them were goal attempts.
Bu hikaye The Independent dergisinin October 27, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye The Independent dergisinin October 27, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
South Africa find a spring in their step to dominate game
A captivating year saw lots of storylines including a thrilling sevens tournaments at the Paris Olympics, Antoine Dupont magic and a Springboks double, writes Harry Latham-Coyle
Lords of the ring walk
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk created history this year
Basque in the glow: Iraola the best-kept secret lifting Cherries to new heights.
A 42-year-old Spanish head coach from the Basque region making waves and earning admirers in the Premier League isn’t a unique position.
Even cold hard cash isn't enough for this spent force
Pep Guardiola has witnessed his empire start to fall as ‘forever football’ takes its toll, writes Miguel Delaney
The babies from the Boxing Day tsunami - 20 years on
The 2004 disaster left thousands without parents. Former travel agent Lynn Stanier explains how after volunteering she vowed to never stop helping the kids she met in Sri Lanka
Hundreds of Humvees left by US forces in Afghanistan
American and Nato troops abandoned military equipment worth more than $7.2bn, much of which is now in a state of disrepair in the Taliban’s hands, as Arpan Rai reports
The family who see saving Gaza's animals as 'our duty'
A heroic family-run animal sanctuary has defied the odds by working around the clock” to save hundreds of animals suffering in Gaza during a year of intense Israeli bombardment.
Nearly 40 dead as plane crashes in Kazakhstan
Children among 29 survivors of Russian-bound flight
Man arrested for attempted murder after four hit by car
A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after four pedestrians were hit by a car in London’s West End in the early hours of Christmas Day.
Britain's lost Atlantis: Stone Age artefacts on the seabed
Discovery reveals more on prehistoric land under North Sea
