Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has heaped praise on Southampton and their manager Russell Martin after his team clinched a narrow 1-0 victory over the Saints on Saturday, Soccernet.football reports.
The win, thanks to an early strike from Erling Haaland, sent City provisionally to the top of the Premier League, now two points ahead of Liverpool, who face Arsenal on Sunday.
Haaland made his mark just five minutes into the game, outmuscling his marker to powerfully slot the ball past Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.
Though City created further chances, Haaland’s early goal proved sufficient to secure the win.
Southampton, meanwhile, showed determination but remain winless, sitting second-bottom with just a single point from their opening games back in the Premier League.
After the match, Guardiola praised Southampton’s style under Martin, acknowledging that he could take lessons from the Saints’ tactical approach.
“Today it was not how they [Southampton] defend deep, it was how good they play with the ball, with the keeper and the movement,” Guardiola told the BBC as per TBRFootball. “It’s a good game to learn as a manager. I am going to learn a lot with Russell because they did really well. We were humble and accepted that they did really well.”
Reflecting on Southampton’s tactical approach, Guardiola noted how Southampton’s build-up play impressed him. “The build-up is exceptional. They open the channels. They link well with the striker and every moment makes sense. I knew after what people had said to me about Russell [Martin] and we tasted it today,” he said.
Guardiola also remarked on the overall difficulty of facing lower-placed teams in the Premier League, adding, “The last two games, Wolves and Southampton, are at the bottom of the league and if this is the level, that shows how tough this Premier League is. They played really good. They didn’t create many chances but it was an incredible effort to get the ball from us.”
Manchester City, now with 23 points from nine games, remain strong contenders in the title race.
Meanwhile, despite Southampton’s spirited play and Martin’s tactical acumen, the Saints continue their search for a breakthrough in their Premier League campaign.