Pep Guardiola watched Manchester City climb to the top of the Premier League, but he admitted he received a tactical lesson from Southampton manager Russell Martin.
An early fifth-minute goal from Erling Haaland was enough to secure a narrow victory over Southampton, lifting City to the top of the table.
Despite the win, the champions found it difficult to break down a resilient Saints side, prompting Guardiola to praise Martin’s efforts – even though Southampton have yet to secure a victory in any of their nine games since rejoining the Premier League.
“Today was not how they defended deep, it was how good they played with the ball with the keeper and their movement,” said Pep Guardiola.
“It’s a good game for me to learn from 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. 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.
“We created chances that we couldn’t convert but the result is good. People had said to me about Russell and his team and we tasted it today.
“When a team plays at that level you have to accept it.”
Haaland showcased his athleticism with an acrobatic, airborne goal in the Champions League against Sparta Prague midweek.
Against Southampton, however, he took a less glamorous approach, nearly on his backside as he poked the ball high past Aaron Ramsdale for the opener.
Although he missed two clear chances in the second half, Guardiola refrained from any criticism.
“We created chances and, as always Erling had two or three clear ones,” Guardiola added.
“But I’m not concerned, it’s important to have 23 points now.
“We have just two or three days to recover now.
“We are used to playing for 11 months every three or four days.
“But the issue is that we can’t rest some players now.
“Hopefully, sooner or later, we can rest some and some can come back.”
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