<p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Manchester City swept to the top of the Premier League with a 4-0 rout of Southampton as Erling Haaland extended his incredible scoring run to 10 successive games, while resurgent Chelsea eased to a 3-0 victory against Wolves on Saturday.</span><br></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Joao Cancelo, Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez all netted for Pep Guardiola's side before Haaland added his customary goal to seal yet another one-sided success at the Etihad Stadium.</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Haaland has scored an astonishing 20 goals in his first 12 competitive games since his £51 million ($56 million) move from Borussia Dortmund.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Fuelled by the Norway striker, City are the first club to score at least three goals in nine consecutive top-flight home matches since Wolves in 1959.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">The champions are now two points clear of second placed Arsenal ahead of the north London club's clash with Liverpool on Sunday.</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Guardiola's remarkable team have only lost one of their last 37 league games as they chase a fifth English title in the last six seasons.</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">City have scored 24 goals in their last six games, winning eight of their last nine across all competitions.</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">In stark contrast to City's blistering form, Southampton's fifth successive defeat added to the mounting pressure on boss Ralph Hasenhuttl.</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">City opened the scoring in the 20th minute as Joao Cancelo weaved through the Southampton defence, evaded James Ward-Prowse's challenge and fired through the legs of keeper Gavin Bazunu.</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Phil Foden doubled City's lead as he ran onto Kevin De Bruyne's pass and clipped a deft lob over Bazunu into the far corner after 32 minutes.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Riyad Mahrez put the result beyond doubt in the 49th minute. The Algeria winger met Rodri's cross with a clinical volley from a tight angle.</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Inevitably, Haaland wasn't to be denied and he finished off Cancelo's pass with a typically ruthless close-range effort in the 65th minute.</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">"I am so upset with him! He didn't score three goals!" Guardiola joked about Haaland.</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">"Expectations of him are so high that people expect he is going to score three or four goals every game.</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">"But in the end he was there and scored. He has done it and helped us again."</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea racked up a third win in new boss Graham Potter's four games since replacing the sacked Thomas Tuchel.</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Potter made seven changes after the midweek Champions League victory over AC Milan, with Reece James, Raheem Sterling and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang among those rested.</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b style="font-size: 1rem;">- Slick Chelsea -</b><br></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Showing the depth of their squad, Chelsea took the lead when Kai Havertz netted three minutes into first half stoppage-time with a looping header from Mason Mount's pin-point cross.</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Christian Pulisic put Chelsea in complete control with a cute finish after exchanging passes with Mount in the 54th minute.</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Armando Broja grabbed his first goal for Chelsea with a 20-yard drive in the 90th minute.</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">After their spluttering form at the end of Tuchel's reign, Chelsea are up to fourth place.</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">"I don't think we can succeed with just 11 players. It's not right just to play 11 until they fall down and get injured," Potter said.</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">"When you're playing three games a week, you've got to make decisions around fresh players, when players are determined and desperate to play."</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Tottenham are three points behind Manchester City after Harry Kane secured a 1-0 win at Brighton.</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Antonio Conte's third-placed team won for the first time in three games after losing at Arsenal and drawing away to Eintracht Frankfurt.</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Kane struck with his eighth goal of the season in the 22nd minute, the England captain converting Son Heung-min's cross with a glancing header.</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">It was a first defeat for Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi after an impressive 3-3 draw at Liverpool in his first match.</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Bournemouth put under-fire Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers back on the hot seat with a 2-1 win at Dean Court.</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Having won for the first time this season on Monday, second bottom Leicester have now lost seven of their last eight games.</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Fifth placed Newcastle thrashed Brentford 5-1 at St James' Park. AFP</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">bnbd24/kh</span><br></p>