Erling Haaland marked his return from injury with two goals as Manchester City kept up their pursuit of Arsenal with a 4-1 win at Southampton
City's eighth win on the bounce in all competitions took them back to within five points of Arsenal, who travel to Anfield to face Liverpool on 
After an underwhelming first 44 minutes, City blasted into action when Haaland rose to bullet home Kevin De Bruyne's cross meaning the Belgian became the fastest player to reach 100 Premier League assists, taking just 237 games
Jack Grealish scored back-to-back for the first time in his City career when adding a second before Haaland stole the show with a devastating acrobatic finish to take his tally for the season to 30 Premier League goals and 44 in all competitions
 He is just five goals away from breaking Andy Cole (93/94) and Alan Shearer's (94/95) Premier League record of 34 goals in a single season
Sekou Mara got Saints on the board with a tidy finish but City restored the three-goal cushion a minute later when Julian Alvarez scored from the spot after De Bruyne had been fouled
It was another demoralising defeat for Southampton, who remain bottom of the Premier League and four points from safety
This could have turned into a fiddly evening for City as they played with a real lack of rhythm in the first half, much like their performance when losing to Saints in the Carabao Cup on the night where Nathan Jones masterminded Pep Guardiola
But Southampton didn't possess the punch to create any meaningful opportunities to seriously give the home fans belief that an upset was on
 Kamaldeen Sulemana curled their best opening just wide of the post on 44 minutes but that close call almost worked as a wake-up call for Guardiola's side who went ahead just before the break
De Bruyne was the architect down the left, clipping a ball that was seized upon by Haaland in usual thumping fashion this time with a headed finish
 It was the seventh time this season De Bruyne had assisted Haaland for a Premier League goal and took the Belgian to 100 assists in the competition
City missed an early chance to double their advantage after the restart when Grealish cut back to Ilkay Gundogan, who drove into the area but fired just wide of the right post
But it was not long before Grealish, who had been bright throughout the first period, threatened again as he sent a sharp strike at Gavin Bazunu, who made the initial low stop but could not hang on to the rebound
Grealish then turned provider when he patiently wove into the area before crossing to Haaland, who finished spectacularly with an overhead kick
Saints ensured the visitors would not head home with a clean sheet when substitute Moussa Djenepo neatly evaded two opponents and fed Mara, who sent a low strike past Ederson
But any faint hopes of a comeback were soon dashed when Kyle Walker-Peters brought down De Bruyne in the box and Alvarez - on for Haaland - smashed home from the spot
Is Haaland now at the level of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi? Guardiola sees comparisons with Ronaldo but thinks Messi remains "the complete player"
"In terms of the thesis of scoring goals
 He's quite similar in terms of Cristiano but Messi is the more complete player," said Guardiola
"Messi can play wherever while Cristano and Erling are machines
 Erling knows those two guys dominated over two decades not just one or two seasons, winning titles and doing everything
"Football is a better place for Cristano and Messi for what they have done for our business, the traction of these two guys competing at the big clubs
"Erling is arriving in the toughest league in the world
 I can talk as I've been in other leagues and doing what he has done is remarkable
"Erling is here for these types of games, it was a little bit hard but he has the ability from an incredible assist from Kevin [De Bruyne] to break the game
""A lot of people were talking online and it's something you can't really miss, but you try to create as much as possible
 I could have had two or three more
 If they score, I get the assist
"I'm known for my creativity, there are not many players who have 100 assists, but half of the side is mine and after the side is the other
"I don't compare
 Cesc Fabregas is an unbelievable football player and that's the best I can do
 I try to create as much as possible and we score a lot of goals, that helps
"Honestly, Erling scores a lot of goals
 He's insane
 He's there
 If you create chances he will be there
 We have a good combination
"face a must-win home game against relegation rivals  on Saturday April 15
 Kick-off 3pm
 host  in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday with kick-off at 3pm
 They're at home again on Saturday against , live on 
 Kick-off 5
30pm
April 15: (H)- Premier League, kick-off 3pmApril 21: (A) - Premier League, kick-off 8pm, live on April 27:  (H) - Premier League, kick-off 7
45pmApril 30:  (A) - Premier League, kick-off 2pmMay 8: (A) - Premier League, kick-off 8pm, live on May 13:  (H) - Premier League, kick-off 3pmMay 20:  (A) - Premier League, kick-off 3pmMay 28:  (H) - Premier League, kick-off 4
30pmApril 11:  (H) - Champions League, kick-off 8pmApril 15:  (H) - Premier League, kick-off 5
30pm, live on April 19:  (A) - Champions League, kick-off 8pmApril 22:  (N) - FA Cup, kick-off 3pmApril 26:  (H) - Premier League, kick-off 8pmApril 30:  (A) - Premier League, kick-off 2pm, live on May 3:  (H) - Premier League, kick-off 8pm, live on May 7: (H) - Premier League, kick-off 2pm, live on May 13:  (A) - Premier League, kick-off 3pmMay 20:  (H) - Premier League, kick-off 3pmMay 28:  (A) - Premier League, kick-off 4
30pmTBA:  (A) - Premier League
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