EPL : Manchester City battled their way back to the Premier League summit as Erling Haaland netted the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Southampton at the Etihad Stadium.

Haaland was on target early on with a clinical finish from inside the area, though City were unusually profligate in front of goal for the rest of Saturday’s contest.

Cameron Archer missed the visitors’ best chance with an effort that struck the woodwork just before the interval.

Haaland passed up two fantastic chances to make the scoreline more comfortable after the break, though City ultimately got the job done to move top ahead of

Sunday’s clash between Arsenal and Liverpool. Southampton, meanwhile, are bottom of the pile, with just one point from their opening nine games.

Club reports

Man City report | Southampton report

Match officials

Referee: Tony Harrington. Assistants: Derek Eaton, Akil Howson. Fourth official: Sam Allison. VAR: David Coote. Assistant VAR: Simon Long.