Haaland 'guarantees' City a hard-fought win over Southampton

MANCHESTER, England — Even if Erling Haaland is expected to miss out on the Ballon d'Or, his campaign to win it in 2025 is well underway.

Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior is the favorite to take soccer's most prestigious individual prize on Monday in Paris, but Haaland has been in near-unstoppable form this season.

The Norwegian goal machine scored for the 14th time in 13 games in all competitions for Manchester City, sending the defending English Premier League champion to the top of the standings after beating Southampton 1-0 on Saturday.