Manchester City Edges Southampton 1-0 as Matheus Nunes Shines in a Rare Premier League Start
Manchester City took a hard-earned 1-0 win over Southampton at the Etihad on Saturday, with Matheus Nunes stepping up to impress Pep Guardiola in a rare starting role.
Pep Guardiola once called Matheus Nunes “one of the best players in the world.” That praise came right after City dominated Nunes’ former team, Sporting Lisbon, with a 5-0 victory in the Champions League—a bittersweet compliment for the Portuguese international. Fast forward, and City sealed a £53 million deal with Wolves to make Nunes their 10th most expensive signing last August.
While Nunes might have taken time to settle in, he showed his commitment by turning down a lucrative offer from the Saudi Pro League, determined to prove himself at City first. Saturday marked only his fourth start of the season and his first in the Premier League. Filling in for Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku on the left, Nunes wasted no time—just four minutes in, he whipped in a cross that Erling Haaland converted with ease.
Haaland, now at 14 goals this season, is on track for his third consecutive Premier League Golden Boot if he stays fit. Though he couldn’t secure a hat-trick this time, his early strike was enough to keep City on top of the league.
Guardiola is known to value body language on the field, and Nunes has shown he can rise to the occasion. In the Community Shield shootout against Manchester United, Nunes stepped up confidently, sending his penalty kick top-corner as Guardiola watched in delight.
Nunes continued that fire this season, even celebrating Josko Gvardiol’s injury-time winner against Wolves last week as though it clinched a Champions League title. After scoring against Sparta Prague midweek, he was eager for another—and nearly found it against Southampton, narrowly missing with a well-taken shot.
As Nunes left the pitch three minutes from the end, City were holding on to their narrow lead. Southampton, guided by Russell Martin’s possession-focused style, kept City on their toes, particularly in the closing moments. Despite their league position, the Saints showed resilience, defending solidly and managing to control possession against City’s press.
Southampton’s best chance came just before halftime, with Cameron Archer striking the crossbar. Had his shot been just a few inches lower, City might have faced an entirely different game.
Manchester City may not have secured an emphatic win, but Nunes’ strong performance and Haaland’s scoring touch helped push them back to the top of the table, setting them up for another title chase.
