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Norwich City have been dealt a huge blow in their bid to bring Marco Meyerhofer to Carrow Road this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by German publication Liga2-online (via Football League World), who claim that the Canaries have made an enquiry regarding a potential move for the 25-year-old SpVgg Greuther Furth right-back in the upcoming transfer window.

However, the report goes on to claim that a deal for the £720k-rated defender would be difficult to get over the line for the Championship winners, as the new Brexit regulations mean that Meyerhofer would not likely qualify for the correct work permit allowing him to make a move to the UK.

Farke will be gutted

Considering just how impressive the right-back has been in 2. Bundesliga this season, the fact that a move for the defender could be in jeopardy due to something that, up until January of this year, had never previously been a problem in the transfer of a European player is sure to leave Daniel Farke gutted.

Over his 33 appearances in the German second tier this season, the marauding Meyerhofer excelled for Greuther Furth in a creative capacity, with the 25-year-old registering nine assists and creating 10 big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.8 key passes per game.

The former Eintracht Frankfurt man also impressed defensively, helping his side to keep six clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 1.9 interceptions, 1.6 tackles and 1.5 clearances per game, while also winning an average of 5.3 duels in each fixture.

These metrics saw Meyerhofer earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.02, ranking him as Stefan Leitl’s sixth-best performer in 2. Bundesliga.

As such, if Norwich were to miss out on a deal for the right-back for something as trivial as a work permit, it would undoubtedly come as a huge blow for Stuart Webber and his side, particularly if the Canaries’ current first choice in the position, Max Aarons, does go on to depart Carrow Road this summer – as Meyerhofer would appear to be an extremely decent candidate to replace the 21-year-old.

In other news: Transfer claim emerges on “top-class” 19 y/o gem, it should leave Norwich fans gutted – opinion

United are taking a close look at American football stadia during their tour of the U.S. as the club considers renovations to the Theatre of Dreams

Manchester United's pre-season tour of the United States is in full swing and Erik ten Hag's side got off to a flying start with an impressive 2-0 win over Arsenal at a sold-out MetLife Stadium in front of 85,000 fans, a record crowd for a football match in the state of New Jersey.

But while Ten Hag is fine tuning his squad in preparation for the looming Premier League campaign, senior United figures are also making the most of the experience. According to the , the club are analysing the stadiums they are playing in during the tour and looking for inspiration as they consider upgrading the historic, but outdated, Old Trafford.

United have appointed the architects who designed the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to come up with plans for their home ground, with Spurs' shiny and impressive ground, which opened in 2019, having been modelled on U.S. stadia and now hosts NFL matches annually.

As United gear up to play Real Madrid at the NRG Stadium in Houston before finishing their tour against Borussia Dortmund at Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium, GOAL takes a closer look at the arenas they have been playing in and the design features they could potentially mimic when they eventually renovate Old Trafford…

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  Moveable turf

  The Allegiant Stadium is the NFL's newest arena and became the new home of the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020 after the franchise moved from Oakland to Sin City. The stadium cost an estimated $1.9 billion (£1.5bn) to build, and its construction took just under three years.

  Its most notable feature is a retractable pitch, allowing the two teams who call it home, the Raiders and UNLV Rebels, to play on different surfaces. There is a tray underneath the stadium, weighing 9,500 tonnes, which is called into action when the surface needs to be switched.

  The tray is powered using 72 electric motors, moving one pitch outside the stadium and the other into it. While the astroturf surface – favoured by the UNLV rebels – is being used, the grass field can receive natural sunlight and water.

  The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium also has a retractable pitch so it can host NFL matches as well as Spurs games. United could use a retractable pitch if they ever wish to rival Tottenham in hosting NFL games or hold other sporting events there.

  Old Trafford already hosts the Super League Grand Final each year, and in the past the match has left the turf in a rotten state. Having a retractable pitch could prevent that from happening in the future.

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  Energy from cigarette butts

  Yes, really. This is another feature of the Allegiant Stadium. Since the arena opened, more than 60,000 watts of energy have been created thanks to its cigarette waste-to-energy collection programme. The discarded cigarette butts are put through a combustion chamber to collect the ashes, which in turn are used to create power through a generator.

  As well as creating energy, the programme ensures the cigarettes do not get into the waterway and it reduces litter in the local area. And it has helped the stadium achieve top-tier sustainability status.

  Old Trafford is a smoke-free stadium, although fans still smoke outside it. However, with many supporters' smoking habits switching from cigarettes to vaping lately, this programme might struggle to get off the ground in Manchester.

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  Multiple sports arenas in one place

  When United arrive at the NRG Stadium in Houston to play Real Madrid, they will be flanked by sports arenas from all angles. The Astrodome, home to baseball World Series champions Houston Astros, is adjacent to the stadium, and just around the corner is the NRG Arena, an indoor venue which hosts livestock shows and rodeos.

  In the US it is quite common to have different sporting stadiums in the same vicinity, and the sight is also familiar in Manchester after United's rivals City completed work on their new training ground in 2014, moving from Carrington to just a stone's throw away from the Etihad Stadium.

  As well as being the place where Pep Guardiola puts his side through their paces each day, the City Football Academy houses the women's and youth teams' stadium and training pitches, giving the club all sorts of logistical advantages.

  United have floated the idea of constructing a smaller stadium next to the revamped Old Trafford which the women's team and academy sides could call home. That would allow them to move from their current site at Leigh Sports Village, which is a 40-minute drive from Old Trafford and very difficult to access via public transport.

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  Air conditioning and climate control

  The NRG Stadium and the Allegiant Stadium both benefit from air conditioning, although the latter's system is more modern than the former, which was built in 2002. The Las Vegas stadium is a fully enclosed, climate-controlled dome, and as well as air conditioning it provides heating, air purification and ventilation.

  The air conditioning will come in handy when United play Madrid in Houston, with temperatures set to reach 34 degrees Celsius, and especially when they face Dortmund in Las Vegas, where it could be as hot as 44 degrees Celsius.

  With Manchester experiencing one of the wettest and coldest Julys ever this year, air conditioning is unlikely to be a priority at a modernised Old Trafford. But then again, in this age of climate change and ever rising temperatures, you can never be too sure.

GOAL takes a look back at the crucial moments that led to Mikel Arteta's side being pegged back by Manchester City

Arsenal’s title dreams are over. After leading the way for so long, the Gunners were overtaken by a relentless Manchester City, and Pep Guardiola’s side have now disappeared into the distance.

Sunday’s 3-0 mauling by Brighton means the Gunners now know that if they now lose at Nottingham Forest next Saturday, that the title will officially be City’s. And even if they do avoid defeat, then a win for City over Chelsea 24 hours later will seal the deal.

It’s a hammer blow for Mikel Arteta’s side, who had an eight-point lead at the top of the table just six weeks ago, but have begun to limp over the line while City have been unstoppable in galloping towards the finish line.

GOAL takes a look at some of the key moments from the season that saw an Arsenal side who had looked unstoppable for so long, ultimately have to settle for second best…

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  Dyche’s debut

  This was a game that came one week too late for Arsenal. Everton were a shambles under Frank Lampard, were shipping goals all over the place and looked a very easy team to play against.

  But they sacked Lampard just ahead of Arsenal’s visit and replaced him with Sean Dyche, who took charge of the Toffees for the first time against the Gunners.

  Goodison Park was a cauldron on the day, and a fired up Everton looked a completely different side as they inflicted a first league defeat in 14 games on Arsenal.

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  Lee Mason’s mistake

  It feels like a long time ago now, but the draw against Brentford when VAR Lee Mason forgot to draw the offside lines and so awarded Ivan Toney an equaliser that should have been ruled out was costly for Arsenal.

  Ultimately, it’s not going to prove decisive in terms of the league table, as City are going to win the title by more than two points, but at the time it meant that Arsenal went into their home game against City on the back of two games without a win.

  Who knows what would have happened had they go into that match on the back of a 1-0 victory rather than a 1-1 draw? It could have given them the confidence boost they needed to overcome Pep Guardiola’s side.

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  Saliba’s injury 

  The sight of William Saliba limping off during the first half of Arsenal’s Europa League last-16 second leg against Sporting CP was a worrying one. But no-one would have expected his back injury to have quite as big an impact on Arsenal’s season that it actually did.

  The hope was that Saliba would be back relatively swiftly, but the France centre-back has not featured since, and his absence has had a huge impact on Arsenal’s season.

  Arteta’s side have picked up just 15 points from a possible 27 without Saliba, conceding 17 goals in nine games.

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  Tomiyasu's injury

  What made Saliba’s injury even worse, was that Arsenal also lost Takehiro Tomiyasu in the same game. The right-back suffered a nasty knee injury against Sporting and was almost immediately ruled out for the remainder of the season.

  Had Tomiyasu have been fit, it’s highly likely that he would have come in at right-back, allowing Ben White to move inside to partner Gabriel Magalhaes at centre-back for the rest of the campaign. That would certainly have made Arsenal a far stronger defensive unit than they have been in recent weeks.

Blues co-owner Todd Boehly has invested mega money to improve the squad this season – but how many of the new faces have hit the ground running?

Chelsea have shattered every transfer record in the book this season, forking out a staggering £600 million ($749m) on a grand total of 17 players.

Nine of those came in before Thomas Tuchel's sacking last September, and the club's new owners provided his successor Graham Potter with a huge January war chest to bring in the remaining eight.

French full-back Malo Gusto and Brazilian wonderkid Andrey Santos were among those to sign for Chelsea in the winter window, with the former sent straight back to Lyon on loan and the latter taking up a similar offer at Vasco da Gama until the summer.

🏆 TOP STORY: Frank is back! Lampard returns as interim Chelsea boss

📣 HAVE YOUR SAY: Does Lampard's Chelsea return prove Boehly has NO IDEA?

🚨 MUST READ: PSG would be CRAZY to keep Messi

The rest of the new additions have all made their debuts for the Blues, either at senior or Under-21 level, but very few have been able to make a big impact.

Potter was dismissed at the start of April due to his failure to gel the new squad together. Now, club legend Frank Lampard has been brought back to steady the ship as interim boss before Potter's permanent replacement tries to succeed where he failed in the summer.

Amid the ongoing chaos in west London, GOAL assesses how all of Chelsea's new signings have fared in their first few months at the club…

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  1Enzo Fernandez (£107m, Benfica)

  The most expensive player in the history of British football, Chelsea paid £107 million to lure World Cup winner Fernandez away from Benfica on January deadline day, and he slotted straight into Potter's engine room.

  It was always going to be difficult for a deep-lying midfielder to justify such a hefty price tag, but Fernandez has given it his best shot, standing out with his superb passing range and tenacity out of possession.

  The 22-year-old is a classy operator and will surely prove to be well worth the investment in the long-term, not least because he seems to be ideally suited to English football.

  STAR RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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  2Wesley Fofana (£72m, Leicester City)

  Fofana has been restricted to just 13 appearances for Chelsea to date, having missed the majority of his first season in west London due to a serious knee injury.

  Still, the 22-year-old has impressed since his return to action in March, and produced a colossal performance at the back during the Blues' 0-0 draw with Liverpool on Tuesday.

  Lampard will surely give Fofana a key role in his plans as Chelsea seek to salvage a top-half finish and go all the way in the Champions League.

  STAR RATING: ⭐⭐⭐

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  3Joao Felix (Loan, Atletico Madrid)

  Alongside Fernandez, Atletico loanee Felix has undoubtedly shone brightest out of Chelsea's crop of January signings.

  He made a huge impression on his debut against Fulham before getting himself sent off, but has learned from that mistake since returning from suspension to lead the Blues' attack.

  Felix has only found the net twice so far for Chelsea, but his quality is undeniable. The 23-year-old is capable of making the difference in the final third with his excellent pass selection and dribbling ability, and defenders are often left on their heels when he explodes into action.

  Chelsea must do everything they can to buy the Portugal international outright in the summer.

  STAR RATING: ⭐⭐⭐

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  4Benoit Badiashile (£35m, Monaco)

  Badiashile has made a solid, if rather unspectacular start to his Chelsea career, featuring in eight Premier League games to date.

  The Frenchman is strong and quick, with good instincts when it comes to breaking up play and stepping out from the back, but he wasn't able to nail down a spot in Potter's line up.

  Lampard's return could change things for Badiashile, who has all the necessary attributes to become a top defender in the future.

  STAR RATING: ⭐⭐⭐

Not many have crossed the Merseyside border, especially from red to blue, but former Everton striker Marcus Bent believes that Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could be the next.

The former Gunner could leave Anfield this summer having found himself out of the side under Jurgen Klopp this season – appearing just 13 times in the Premier League.

A knee problem kept Oxlade-Chamberlain out of the opening three months of the campaign, but even when he did return to fitness, he made just two starts in the league.

Remarkably, the 27-year-old was on the pitch for 286 minutes in all competitions for the Reds which has ended any chance of being named Gareth Southgate’s squad.

He did come back into the England frame at the backend of 2019, but with both his club career now up in the air, that feat appears some way off for the versatile midfielder.

However, Oxlade-Chamberlain has still been linked with a move to Borussia Dortmund in a £17m deal, but Bent exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that Goodison Park could yet be his next destination:

“What Everton have said is that he’s someone they would be interested in – the problem being, he’s had injuries.

“He has talent, he’s been around the England squad, he’s mature now.”

Crystal Palace are interested in appointing former Chelsea manager Frank Lampard if Roy Hodgson departs the Eagles at the end of the campaign, but his proposed arrival could be a huge mistake.

Hodgson is out of contract at Selhurst Park over the summer, and with no new deal on the table, it’s looking increasingly likely that the 73-year-old will exit the south London club over the next few weeks or months.

The former England boss has enjoyed four successful campaigns with the Eagles, finishing as high as 11th in his first season in charge and keeping them out of a relegation scrap throughout his tenure. However, Palace’s pragmatic style of play has seen large sections of the club’s supporters become frustrated with their team’s performances, and it’s easy to understand why.

Hodgson’s men scored an incredibly low 31 Premier League goals in 38 games in 2019/20, with only basement club Norwich City finding the back of the net on fewer occasions.

There’s been some improvement this time around, as 40 attempts have already been converted with two matches still left to play, but it doesn’t appear to have been enough to earn the former Inter Milan boss fresh terms at Selhurst park.

Talk has therefore turned to who could replace the experienced campaigner. Several well-established names such as Eddie Howe and Sean Dyche have been linked with succeeding Hodgson, alongside a rookie of the managerial world in Lampard.

According to a report on iNews, the 42-year-old former England midfielder is the favourite to take over the reins at Selhurst Park as the club seek to build on the solid foundations Hodgson has put in place.

Lampard’s Chelsea were certainly more entertaining and attacking than Palace have been for quite some time; his Blues outfit were the Premier League’s third top scorers behind Liverpool and Manchester City last season, although that’s about where the positives ended.

It’s true that Lampard brought through several youth stars at Stamford Bridge, trusting the likes of Mason Mount, Reece James and Tammy Abraham with first team roles, but his tactical shortcomings were clear for all to see and has been truly exposed by the job Thomas Tuchel has done since succeeding him.

Chelsea have conceded just 10 top-flight goals in 17 games under the German’s leadership, with five of those coming in one match after failing to cope with going down to 10 men against West Brom, while also reaching the FA Cup and Champions League finals.

In Lampard’s one full season in charge, the Blues leaked 54 goals and were eliminated in the last 16 of the Champions League on an aggregate score of 7-1 by eventual champions Bayern Munich.

His respectable 49.65% win rate is boosted by the fact he was in charge of Derby County and Chelsea teams expected to be at the upper echelons of their respective divisions and somewhat hides the inefficiencies which were present throughout his time at both clubs.

In fairness, Lampard did also guide his side to the FA Cup final, but that’s where the similarities between him and Tuchel end. Palace have 17 players coming to the end of their contracts over the summer, and the Eagles need an experienced head to guide them out of this crossroads, not someone who is still learning the ropes.

In other news…Forget Eze & Zaha: £9m-rated Palace beast who won 100% duels was Hodgson’s unsung hero – opinion

The Italian is one of the most controversial characters in world politics, but his football team AC Monza is thriving…

The comedian Dylan Moran once joked that Silvio Berlusconi is "so thoroughly corrupt that every time he smiles, an angel gets gonorrhoea".

The former Italian prime minister is certainly a dubious character.

Only last Sunday, he criticised Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky, which prompted one of Zelensky's aides, Mykhailo Podolyak, to label Berlusconi "a VIP agitator who is acting in the interests of Russian propaganda".

On Wednesday, meanwhile, he was cleared of paying witnesses to lie in an underage prostitution case that has dogged him for more than a decade.

"Finally acquitted after more than 11 years of suffering, mud-slinging and incalculable political damage," he wrote on Twitter.

It is worth noting, though, that while Berlusconi was also acquitted in the original case, he had been found to have paid a teenager for sex.

However, there had been no proof that Berlusconi knew the girl in question was a minor.

One with no previous knowledge of Berlusconi would be forgiven, then, for thinking that he might shy away from discussing – let alone joking about – controversial topics such as prostitution.

But this is a man who has never been afraid to make light of the most uncomfortable of topics, so it didn't really come as much of a surprise when Berlusconi sparked uproar at Monza's Christmas dinner last December while initially paying tribute to the motivational skills of coach Raffaele Palladino.

• 'A bus full of wh*res'

  "He is good, smart, kind, and able to stimulate our lads," the club president said.

  "But I decided to add extra stimulation, so I told the lads, 'You will play Milan, Juventus, etc… so if you beat one of these big teams, I will have you greeted in the locker room by a bus full of whores!'"

  It was classic Berlusconi and his 'joke' was met by laughter in the room.

  However, when a video of the speech went viral, many Italians, who've long considered Berlusconi a national embarrassment, failed to see the funny side.

  Which was wholly unsurprising, of course. The media mogul remains a hugely divisive figure across the country.

  His political career has been blighted by scandal and yet, last year, he managed to secure a senate, while his Forza Italia party is a key component in the new right-wing coalition government led by Giorgia Meloni.

  What is beyond dispute, though, is that Berlusconi has overseen a remarkable turnaround in Monza's fortunes since being persuaded to buy the club by his former CEO at AC Milan, Adriano Galliani, in 2018.

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• 'We must win the Scudetto'

  The Biancorossi's potential has long been obvious. Located in one of the most industrious areas in northern Italy, in a city home to one of Formula 1's most famous race tracks, not far from the metropolis that is Milan, Monza has attracted plenty of ambitious investors in the past.

  However, where others have failed, Berlusconi has succeeded, spectacularly, taking Monza from Serie C to Serie A in just four seasons.

  Perhaps that shouldn't have been so surprising, given Berlusconi and Galliani worked wonders at Milan, winning a whopping 29 trophies during their 31-year stay at San Siro.

  However, when they finally left, in 2017, the Rossoneri were in a clear decline that very nearly ended in bankruptcy.

  At that point, both Berlusconi and Galliani appeared finished in football, at least at the highest level.

  Last summer, though, they secured a sensational return to Serie A, with Monza beating Pisa in the Serie B play-offs.

  For the first time in their history, the Biancorossi had made it to Italy's top flight.

  “It’s amazing for a club like Monza, founded in 1912, to gain promotion after 110 years," Berlusconi said.

  "Being in Serie A, we must win the Scudetto and go to the Champions League and win it too. I am accustomed to winning all the time, so let’s see…"

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  'Palladino has done what needed to be done'

  Nobody took such lofty talk seriously at the time and Berlusconi's bold proclamation was made to look quite foolish during a dreadful start to the 2022-23 season, which saw Monza pick up just one point from their first six games.

  However, Berlusconi then did something quite remarkable: he sacked Giovanni Stroppa and replaced him with Palladino, the club's Primavera coach.

  Even more incredibly, it worked.

  "I thought it was a temporary choice," admitted former AC Milan coach Fabio Capello, who was given his own big break by Berlusconi more than three decades ago.

  "When you move from the Primavera to the first team, most of the time it's just to respond to an emergency.

  "However, Berlusconi and Galliani understood Palladino's qualities before everyone else.

  "He has shown a great ability in the technical and tactical management of the team, and the group followed him, trusted him.

  "Palladino understood what needed to be done in a short time."

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• 'There is magic in the dressing room'

  Since Palladino's appointment, only Napoli, Juventus and Inter have picked up more points than Monza (28) and they're presently on an eight-game unbeaten run – the longest streak in Serie A.

  With the top-flight debutants now sitting 10th in the table, the supporters' dream of seeing their side play in continental competition no longer seems quite so far-fetched.

  Both Palladino and his players are obviously remaining grounded but even the coach has admitted that "there is a magic in the dressing room" that he has never seen before.

  "The team is so united, so cohesive, and so happy," he enthused.

  There is also quality there.

Finalists Argentina and France are both well represented in our line up of the best players from a memorable tournament in Qatar

And just like that, the 2022 World Cup is over. With a record number of goals, drama from the start and rounded off by perhaps the greatest final, if not overall game, in the tournament's history, Qatar played host to a show that few will forget in a hurry.

Argentina saw of France in Sunday's finale, with Lionel Messi finally ending his wait for the one trophy that has eluded him in his remarkable career, and perhaps finishing any debate regarding the greatest player of all time.

The mercurial No.10 won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player, and so he's a lock for GOAL's Team of the Tournament, but who else should join him in the line up?

Here's how we saw it – do you agree with our selections?

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  GK: Emiliano Martinez (Argentina)

  After the disappointment of conceding twice to Saudi Arabia in the opening game, Martinez looked like a man hell bent on protecting his goal at all costs.

  He commanded his area exceptionally well and made big saves at key times, including last-gasp stops against both Australia in the last 16 and France in the final, as well as in the shootout wins over the Netherlands and in Sunday's dramatic victory.

  A deserving winner of the Goalkeeper of the Tournament award.

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  RB: Achraf Hakimi (Morocco)

  An easy choice, Hakimi was consistently excellent throughout the tournament as Morocco captured the hearts of the world during their run to the semi-finals.

  The Paris Saint-Germain right-back was superb at both ends of the pitch, with his assist for Youssef En-Nesyri during the win against Canada one of the highlights of the tournament.

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  CB: Nicolas Otamendi (Argentina)

  As strong as Argentina were coming into the tournament, few would have predicted that 34-year-old Otamendi would have been one of the standout players of the World Cup.

  But the Benfica centre-back was exceptional for almost the entire tournament, and though his foul to concede France's first penalty in the final was almost the catalyst to a disastrous defeat, the good far outweighed the bad for the ex-Manchester City man.

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  CB: Josko Gvardiol (Croatia)

  Forget about what Messi did to him in the semi-final, that could have happened to any defender.

  This has been a breakthrough tournament for Gvardiol, one that has cemented his place as one of the best up-and-coming defenders in world football. At just 20, he's a real talent.

Erling Haaland increased his goal tally, but Joao Cancelo was arguably the top Manchester City performer in a 4-0 win over Southampton.

It perhaps says more about Manchester City than Southampton that the visitors didn't look overly devastated by the one-sided destruction at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. Four is the fewest number of goals that City have scored in the Premier League at home this season, so Ralph Hassenhuttl's players were perhaps relieved the defeat wasn't worse.

City were totally dominant with goals from Cancelo, Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez inside the opening 50 minutes.

Cancelo, the world-class and ever-versatile full-back, put in the best showing of the match, as he also stood out as a playmaker.

Haaland, meanwhile, took his time getting on the scoresheet, hitting the inside of the post and somehow failing to connect with a Kevin De Bruyne pass. But he finally got his goal in the 65th minute to take his goal streak to seven successive Premier League games and 10 matches overall.

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  The Winners

  Joao Cancelo:

  With Kyle Walker potentially ruled out for City until after the World Cup, Guardiola is lucky to have such a versatile full-back to rely on.

  Cancelo can play on either flank without any drop off in quality defensively, although he's almost more threatening on the left-hand side.

  The Portuguese is the master of an outside of the foot pass and sent one glorious deep cross onto the path of Riyad Mahrez, who volleyed just over the bar.

  His response was to do it all by himself, twisting James Ward-Prowse inside out before smashing a left-foot shot into the bottom corner.

  Kevin De Bruyne:

  The Belgian took another notable step up the ladder towards being one of the all-time Premier League greats.

  De Bruyne broke City's career assist record and moved up to fifth on the all-time Premier League assists list when he set up Phil Foden's second goal.

  He now has nine so far in the Premier League already has he closes in on his own single-season record of 20 shared with Thierry Henry. With Haaland as a team-mate and De Bruyne getting even better, it wouldn't be a surprise if that record is smashed this term.

  Haaland's goalscoring team-mates:

  Of course, Erling Haaland was eventually on the scoresheet but by then the game was long over.

  What will have delighted Pep Guardiola is that City were ahead emphatically long before he was on the scoresheet.

  Haaland played his part by dragging Southampton's centre-halves out of position to create the space for his team-mates, who proved they too can finish their chances.

  Phil Foden:

  Switched flanks to the left-hand side from the Manchester derby, but it had little impact on his performance.

  It might not have been another hat-trick but it was another game when he was crucial in the final third.

  Foden created the chance for Cancelo to drive at Southampton for the opener with a quick pass that saw him flattened by Kyle Walker-Peters.

  After missing a one-on-one with Bazunu, he was presented with a second opportunity less than a minute later and made no mistake with a deft finish.

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  The Losers

  Gavin Bazunu:

  The Ireland international never spent much time in Manchester before his move in the summer, with loan spells at Rochdale and Portsmouth during his time at City.

  A first-ever appearance at the Etihad Stadium was a chance to show Guardiola about his potential with City having a buyback option.

  Bazunu made a glut of impressive saves from Mahrez, Foden and Haaland to keep the scoreline down and was calm and intelligent with the ball at his feet.

  But he won't be expecting a call just yet to take the gloves off Ederson, who was a spectator at the other end of the pitch.

  Jack Grealish:

  The £100 million man has been in good form in recent weeks so it was perhaps a surprise that he was on the bench.

  Grealish's confidence has looked back to the highs of his Aston Villa days as he's been heavily involved in a string of big victories recently.

  The only thing that has been missing is the goals and assists and he might have seen the Saints as a way to boost his numbers.

  Riyad Mahrez hasn't been at his best this season, but the Algerian was preferred with Guardiola wanting him to find some form after a goal and assist in midweek against Copenhagen and he got on the scoresheet again while Grealish fluffed a glorious chance when he came on.

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  Ratings: Defence

  Ederson (6/10):

  A routine performance for the goalkeeper whose main role was starting City attacks when the ball came deep.

  Manuel Akanji (7/10):

  In an unfamiliar right-back spot, but it didn't seem to bother him in the slightest as he continued his impressive start since his summer switch.

  Ruben Dias (6/10):

  Perhaps a couple of uncomfortable moments, but only noticeable as those around him were so flawless.

  Nathan Ake (8/10):

  Unruffled again as he swept any danger and passed out of defence with confidence.

  Joao Cancelo (9/10):

  Virtually used as a winger and Southampton had no idea how to curtail his thrusting runs.

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  Midfield

  Rodri (7/10):

  Back in the side after a slight strain and was straight into the groove linking the defence and attack.

  Bernardo Silva (8/10):

  Played almost as a second holding midfielder to counter-act Southampton's targeting of Rodri and the pair dictated the middle of the pitch.

  Kevin De Bruyne (8/10):

  Being rested in the week was bad news for the visitors. He was fresh, pressing their defence and got his assist by sliding in Foden.

Bucs will be determined to return to winning ways when they face the Libyan side in the semi-final first-leg clash on Sunday

The Buccaneers are expected to be without Olisa Ndah, Thabang Monare and Paseka Mako who are all both nursing injuries.

On the other hand, Nkanyiso Zungu remains suspended by the Soweto giants for an off the field issue.  

While Vincent Pule could return to the matchday squad after recovering from a long term injury.

GOAL picks Pirates' possible starting line-up ahead of their clash with Al Ahli at Martyrs of February Stadium in Benghazi.

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  GOALKEEPER – Richard Ofori

  The bulky shot-stopper will be keen to continue his good form in the Confederation Cup when he faces the 12-time Libyan champions.

  Ofori has kept four clean sheets in five matches in Africa's secondary club tournament this term.

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  RIGHT-BACK – Bandile Shandu

  The man nicknamed Busy Weekend will be returning to Martyrs of February Stadium where he scored twice against Al Ittihad last month.

  Busy Weekend will be hoping to rediscover his scoring touch having failed to find the back of the net in his last 10 competitive games.

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  LEFT-BACK – Innocent Maela

  The experienced left-back is set to make his second start in this season's Confederation Cup.

  Maela, who is enjoying regular game time with Mako out injured, grabbed an assist during Bucs' last game in this competition which was against Tanzania's Simba SC on April  24.

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  CENTRAL DEFENDER – Happy Jele

  The Pirates captain looked shaky against TS Galaxy on Monday as Bucs lost 1-0 in a PSL match and he was substituted at half-time.

  Jele was substituted due to a tactical move by the Pirates technical team and he is expected to start once again with Ndah out injured.