Matchday 10 of the English Premier League sees Manchester City looking to continue their absurd scoring run when they host Southampton at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. Pep Guardiola’s side has struck for 14 goals in their last three matches and have looked utterly irresistible with the football they have been playing this season. Their last result was a dominant 5-0 victory over Danish champions FC Kobenhavn in the Champions League while their last league result saw them smash six goals past their rivals Manchester United in a 6-3 home victory. The Citizens now sit second in the league table and remain the only undefeated Premier League team with their 6-2-0 record giving them 20 points. Southampton is the team tasked with trying to slow down the defending champions today and is potentially catching City at the worst possible time. The Saints have lost their last three matches on the bounce and four of the last five with their most recent result being a 2-1 home defeat to Everton.
Striker Erling Haaland truly looks to be the missing piece that this City team has been lacking since the departure of club legend Sergio Aguero. The imposing Norwegian has a legitimate chance to break Alan Shearer and Andy Cole’s shared Premier League single season goal record of 34 strikes. Haaland has already racked up an amazing 14 goals in the Premier League after just eight match weeks while adding on another five in the Champions League. That brings the 22-year-old to 19 goals in 11 matches on the season as well as finding the net in nine consecutive matches in a City shirt. Manchester City has been making it a point this season to put matches to bed early on and have been blowing teams out on home soil, frequently entering the changing room with a multiple goal lead after the first 45 minutes.
We’re going back to the well for this one with the same bet that we cashed in midweek when City took on Kobenhavn by backing over 1.5 goals to be scored in the first half. The hosts have been absolutely rampant on home soil this season and now face off against a Southampton team that has been struggling with their defensive shape. Southampton’s propensity to concede early on in matches could come back to bite them here. Expect Guaridola’s men to get off to another fast start here and look to end this game within the first 45 minutes of play.