Manchester City keep powering on in a relentless mode that tells Liverpool and Arsenal they must do the same. Pep Guardiola’s champions are up to top spot with this tight victory and if either Arsenal or Arne Slot’s side can win Sunday’s late kick-off, they will land a bodyblow on the other.

City, with 23 points, lead Liverpool by two and Arsenal by a yawning six, so Mikel Arteta’s team dare not lose.

Guardiola’s charges were a rare thing here: a touch flat. Recently, the Catalan has preached the need to be patient and though Erling Haaland could have had a hat-trick instead of a solitary winner, injuries meant the manager had scant resources on the bench to change up his charges, with only Ilkay Gündogan an attack-minded senior option.

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On Wednesday, Haaland took flight to fashion a breathtaking reverse-heeled volley to score against Sparta Prague. Five minutes into this contest, he went to ground, yanked there by Jan Bednarek, yet still stabbed home, to his and the fans’ delight.

The cross was pinged over by the bright Matheus Nunes, who schemed on the left in a first league start this season. Soon after, the silky Portuguese floated into the area and let fly. Aaron Ramsdale saved but the winger had gone unchallenged.

Haaland’s strike was a first in the competition in October: a quaint statistic for a No 9 with his numbers. It ended a three-match drought in the league and already placed the visitors behind the eight-ball. To remove themselves, any chance they might fashion had to be seized, as when Mateus Fernandes stroked the ball forward from an inside-left zone to Cameron Archer: he had a half-step on Rúben Dias in City territory but the striker miscontrolled, and the defender cleaned up.

Saints can be pretty yet ineffective. For example, Adam Lallana, hassled near his penalty area by Mateo Kovacic, swivelled and glided past the champions’ holding player, and drew applause from Russell Martin, but the move faltered and City regained control.

Guardiola, who afterwards professed himself impressed with Martin’s ethos, can be the sternest taskmaster, so chagrin coursed through him when Savinho latched on to a loose pass, dipped a shoulder, padded into the area and, with Haaland open, dawdled to allow the threat to be snuffed out.

In the week, Martin had had a pop at how his job security had been billed as “breaking news” on Sky Sports. If this suggests a skin that needs thickening, Ramsdale showed why the manager is being scrutinised via the latest illustration of Martin’s insistence his men must play out from the goalkeeper.

A harried Ramsdale panicked and spooned the ball to the lurking Bernardo Silva by the six-yard box. He would have found Haaland if not for Taylor Harwood-Bellis’s sprawling block. An escape then and how Flynn Downes also deserved to avoid the yellow card received from Tony Harrington for a legitimate toe-poke challenge on Silva. Martin followed this by berating the referee and so he, too, was booked. As this is a third for him this term, he will serve a touchline ban when Stoke visit for Tuesday’s EFL Cup tie.

The first half finished with Archer skating down the left and hitting Ederson’s bar but he was offside. The second began with a Savinho burst that punched holes in the Saints rearguard: he tapped left to Phil Foden, who saw his attempt miss to Ramsdale’s left.

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City’s next goal seemed to be in the post but never arrived. Foden dipped a corner over, Haaland rose and headed and Harwood-Bellis cleared off the line. Back came the ball for Haaland to head once more but Ramsdale saved. Savinho crossed to the far post from the right and Haaland somehow tipped wide – to his despair – from close range.

In between, Adam Armstrong, on after the break for Tyler Dibling, aimed straight at Ederson during a counter along City’s left. Then, near disaster from Fernandes. Again, the hosts boxed Saints in, so the No 18’s solution was a wild pass from the left sideline straight to Nunes, but he could not finish.

One subplot featured Haaland’s missed headers: the next came from a Savinho delivery he directed across goal and not in. By the close Gündogan was on, yet this was a subdued City performance nearly reduced to a draw when the substitute Joe Aribo had a late chance, but his weak effort saved the home side.

Silva said: “I watched the games they played this season and I think they deserve a lot more points than what they’ve got.”