Manchester City 4-0 Southampton: Cityzens' Player Ratings as Joao Cancelo and Phil Foden dominate in a commanding win | Premier League 2022-23

Manchester City defeated Southampton 4-0 in the Premier League on Saturday, October 8. The result saw them leapfrog Arsenal into the top spot in the table, leading the pack by two points.

City came into this game on the back of a 6-3 win over cross-town rivals Manchester United and a 5-0 win over Copenhagen in the UEFA Champions League. Prior to this game, Erling Haaland had already racked up 19 goals for the season. The hosts trailed league leaders Arsenal by a point prior to kick-off. Pep Guardiola fielded a strong lineup for the game.

🔵 Today's City Team News 🔵

XI | Ederson, Cancelo, Akanji, Dias, Ake, Rodrigo, De Bruyne (C), Bernardo, Mahrez, Foden, Haaland

Subs | Ortega Moreno, Gundogan, Laporte, Grealish, Alvarez, Gomez, Palmer, Lewis, Wilson-Esbrand

#ManCity | @HaysWorldwide https://t.co/WPc2ejFbDK

As expected, Manchester City dominated possession of the ball right from the opening exchanges. They kept 64% of the ball in the first period, creating one chance after another as they looked to break down Southampton. City attempted 12 shots, with five on target. Haaland had a big chance to make it 20 for the season but hit the woodwork.

Joao Cancelo gave Manchester City the lead after 20 minutes. Foden played the ball out to the Portuguese, who made a smart run infield from the left flank. Cancelo then faked a defender before unleashing a driven shot into the bottom-right corner to make it 1-0. Foden then got on the scoresheet himself, scoring a lovely chipped goal following an assist from Kevin De Bruyne.

Manchester City barely allowed their visitors any time on the ball in their half. The Saints attempted just one shot in the first half as they trailed 2-0 going into the break.

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🔵 2-0 😇 #ManCity https://t.co/xbMTCYzpqh

Manchester City continued in their relentless pursuit of perfection as they made a blistering start to the second half. Riyad Mahrez added a third goal following a brilliant pass by Rodri from the edge of the box. He picked out Mahrez at the far post, who volleyed his shot into the goal. Haaland then finally got on the scoresheet after 65 minutes, assisted by Cancelo.

Pep Guardiola then showed clear intent to rotate his squad and offer some key minutes to bench players while resting the starters. He used all five of his substitutes before the 80-minute mark. Despite that, City controlled the game and did not look like conceding a goal.

They ended the game by holding off a short attacking spell by Southampton but held on to secure a 4-0 win. That said, let's take a look at how Manchester City's players fared.

Manchester City Player Ratings

Ederson - 6.5/10

Ederson was barely tested by Southampton but displayed his ball-playing skills as he distributed it well. He did not have to make a single save and distributed the ball with 91% accuracy.

Manuel Akanji - 7/10

Akanji looked solid in defense and had a great game. He won five of his seven duels, making one clearance and four tackles. He passed the ball with 90% accuracy, including one long ball.

Ruben Dias - 7/10

Dias had a decent game at the heart of Manchester City's defense. He won three of his four duels, making two clearances, two interceptions and one block. He also passed the ball with 90% accuracy, including three long balls.

Nathan Ake - 7/10

Ake had a decent game in City's defense and did well to keep a clean sheet.

Joao Cancelo - 8.5/10

Cancelo showed why he is regarded as one of the best attacking fullbacks in the world with a world-class display. He made Manchester City tick as he scored one goal and provided an assist.

He won seven of his 11 duels, making two tackles and one clearance. He played three key passes, two accurate crosses and one accurate long ball. He is one of the few players in world football who has mastered the art of the trivela pass.

Kevin De Bruyne - 7.5/10

De Bruyne had a decent game but was slightly quiet by his standards. He provided an assist for his side's second goal and also played three key passes. He created two big chances and won one of his three duels.

Rodri - 8/10

Rodri bossed the center of the park as he distributed the ball with confidence and used his physicality well. He won five of his eight duels and made three tackles and one block. He also played nine accurate long balls.

Bernardo Silva - 7/10

Silva had a decent game in midfield and distributed the ball well. He completed 72 passes with 99% accuracy, including eight long balls. He also won one of his three duels.

Riyad Mahrez - 7.5/10

Mahrez looked sharp with the ball and scored a smart volley for Manchester City's third goal after the restart. He attempted four shots with two on target and the other two off the mark. He also won three of his seven duels.

Erling Haaland - 7/10

Haaland looked dormant for well over an hour as he struggled to convert his chances in the first half. He even hit the woodwork once. However, he restored normalcy after 66 minutes with a clean strike to make it 4-0.

Phil Foden - 8.5/10

Foden looked sharp in attack and made a great start to the game as he grabbed a goal and an assist in the first half. He played four key passes, two accurate crosses and three accurate long balls. He attempted four shots with three of them on target.

Substitutes

Jack Grealish - 6.5/10

Grealish replaced Foden just before the hour-mark and had a decent game.

Julian Alvarez, Cole Palmer, Sergio Gomez & Rico Lewis - N/A

The quartet came on late in the game and did very little to warrant a rating as City were content to maintain possession.