Premier League Gameweek 4 on 14 September 2024 delivered two standout results — Erling Haaland continuing his extraordinary scoring run for Manchester City and a resurgent Manchester United dismantling Southampton away from home. Here is a full round-up of both matches.
Manchester City 2-1 Brentford
Brentford stunned the Etihad inside the opening minute. Keane Lewis-Potter's header into the box was nodded into an empty net by Yoane Wissa after just 22 seconds — the fastest goal of the Premier League season at that point — and City had it all to do.
The response from Pep Guardiola's side was measured rather than frantic. Erling Haaland drew the hosts level in the 19th minute, latching onto a ball and finishing from a tight angle with what was only his second touch of the game. The Norwegian then put City ahead before the half-hour mark: goalkeeper Ederson launched the ball long, Haaland outmuscled defender Ethan Pinnock and chipped coolly past Brentford keeper Mark Flekken to make it 2-1 in the 32nd minute.
City proved stubborn enough to protect that lead for the remainder of the match, collecting a full three points and extending their perfect start to four wins from four. The brace took Haaland's tally to nine Premier League goals in four matches — more than any English top-flight club had managed as a team at that stage of the season. City moved three points clear at the summit after Liverpool's 1-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest.
Southampton 0-3 Manchester United
Manchester United produced arguably their best Premier League performance of the campaign so far, routing Southampton 3-0 at St. Mary's Stadium and relieving significant pressure on manager Erik ten Hag.
The match turned on a penalty miss. Southampton were awarded a spot-kick after Tyler Dibling was fouled in the box, but Cameron Archer's weakly struck effort was comfortably saved by Andre Onana. United seized on the reprieve immediately.
Matthijs de Ligt headed home his first goal for the club in the 35th minute, expertly meeting Bruno Fernandes's flighted corner delivery. Marcus Rashford doubled the lead six minutes later with a composed, curled finish — his first goal since March. Substitute Alejandro Garnacho sealed the win deep in stoppage time, converting unmarked from Diogo Dalot's cutback in the 90th minute to make it three.
The result ended United's two-match losing run in the league and kept the club from suffering three consecutive Premier League defeats for the first time since 2015. For Ten Hag, whose position had been under scrutiny, it offered a much-needed boost ahead of a demanding run of fixtures.
