Manchester City’s unwavering pursuit of Arsenal at the Premier League summit continued with a 4-1 success over Southampton as Pep Guardiola’s side clocked up a fifth successive league win for the first time this season.With City fighting for the title and Southampton merely battling to stay in the top-flight, there were no prizes for guessing who dominated the opening stages of this game. With the returning Erling Haaland in tow, City were out to cut the gap to Arsenal atop of the table before the Gunners play tomorrow, and Jack Grealish thought he had got his side off to the perfect start when he curled an effort towards the far post, but a flying Gavin Bazunu stop denied City an early breakthrough.What ever they do, the Blues can’t get it right – A painful second debut for Frank the coachThe Southampton stopper was left powerless in his attempts to stop Haaland shortly before the break, but after his injury lay-off, perhaps an element of rustiness was to blame for the fact the Norwegian powered a header wide from no more than six yards. Clearly smarting from his earlier miss, Haaland made no mistake moments later, heading home a Kevin De Bruyne cross in almost identical fashion to fire City into a half-time lead and rack up a 100th Premier League assist for the Belgian playmaker (VIDEO).City’s primary aim after the break was to kill the game as quickly as possible and they came tantalisingly close to doubling their advantage moments into the second half when İlkay Gündoğan curled an effort inches wide of the post. The visitors didn’t have to wait too much longer to find that elusive second goal though, with Grealish finally reaping the rewards his performance deserved when he fired past Bazunu (VIDEO) at the second time of asking.Grealish was instrumental in City placing the game beyond any reasonable doubt too, lofting an inch-perfect cross to the back post which Haaland acrobatically volleyed home to clock up his 30th league goal of the season (VIDEO).Sekou Mara swept home a Moussa Djenepo to hand Southampton a brief lifeline (VIDEO), but no sooner was the ball back in play, City had a penalty when Kyle Walker-Peters felled De Bruyne in the area and substitute Julián Álvarez was on hand to convert from the spot (VIDEO).That rounded off the scoring and proved to be the icing on the cake of an impressive night for City who passed the book onto Arsenal tomorrow afternoon. Meanwhile, Southampton remain rooted to the foot of the table and four points adrift of safety as their survival bid continues to falter.PREMIER LEAGUE – ROUND 30SaturdayMan.Utd. – Everton 2-0 (1-0)/McTominay 26, Martial 71/Aston Villa – Nott.Forest 2-0 (0-0)/Traore 48, Watkins 90+5/Brentford – Newcastle 1-2 (1-0)/Toney 45+1 pen – Joelinton 54, Isak 61/Fulham – West Ham 0-1 (0-1)/Reed 10 og/Leicester – Bournemouth 0-1 (0-0)/Billing 40/Tottenham – Brighton 2-1 (1-1)/Son 10, Kane 79 – Dunk 34/Wolverhampton – Chelsea 1-0 (1-0)/Nunes 32/Southampton – Man.City 1-4 (0-1)/Mara 72 – Haaland 45, 68, Grealish 63, Alvarez 74/Sunday16:00: (2.15) Leeds (3.45) Crystal Palace (3.70)18:30: (2.80) Liverpool (3.50) Arsenal (2.60)***odds are subject to change***
