Pep Guardiola makes feelings clear after Erling Haaland's missed chances in Southampton win

Pep Guardiola saw - then claimed he was given a lesson by basement boss Russell Martin.

A fifth-minute strike was the only goal of the game against to send City top of the table. The champions struggled to add any more goals against a brave Saints side leaving Guardiola to heap praise on Martin despite his team failing to win any of their nine games since returning to the .

“Today was not how they defended deep, it was how good they played with the ball with the keeper and their movement," said 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, and Southampton, are at the bottom of the league and if this is the level that shows how tough this Premier League is.

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“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 scored an acrobatic goal against Sparta Prague in midweek while airborne. Against Saints he was almost on his backside as he poked the ball high past but he escaped criticism from Guardiola despite missing two big second-half chances.

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“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.”

Guardiola is wrestling with an injury list of six first team stars and City now face four games in eleven days before the next international break. Says the Spanish boss: “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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