'Flash in the pan' - Gary Lineker makes Erling Haaland joke as Man City beat Southampton 4-0

Manchester City star Erling Haaland scored his 15th league goal of the season against Southampton on Saturday as Gary Lineker aimed a cheeky dig at the striker during the match.

Kevin de Bruyne finished as City's top goalscorer in the league last season, with a total of 15 goals to his name. Haaland has already matched that number in just nine games, with 29 matches still to be played.

City led 2-0 at the break thanks to goals from Joao Cancelo and Phil Foden. Riyad Mahrez, who was brought into the starting XI by Pep Guardiola, made it 3-0 to the Blues just four minutes into the second-half.

As the hour mark ticked by, the same jokes were beginning to be made over Haaland's failure to get on the scoresheet so far. The 22-year-old was even played through one-on-one by Foden in the first-half, yet the former Borussia Dortmund forward's right-footed shot cannoned back off the post.

This prompted Lineker to take to social media with a tongue-in-cheek joke at Haaland's expense. The former Leicester City striker tweeted: "Haaland misses a good chance, hitting the inside of the post. Flash in the pan." It was City's new signing who had the last laugh, however, as he turned home Cancelo's cross from inside the box in the 65th minute to make it 4-0 to the Blues, as he added his customary goal.

It did not take long for Lineker to return to social media as he joked about Haaland's apparent goal drought, that lasted over an hour, now being over.

He tweeted: "The @ErlingHaaland slump is over as he scores @ManCity’s 4th."

Haaland now has 20 goals in 13 appearances in all competitions so far this season and is now the only Manchester City player ever to have scored in seven consecutive Premier League games.