Haller looked a different player with a strike partner

During the post-match interview at Southampton Sebastien Haller stood next to Michail Antonio and towered above him. Antonio is not a small player and it made the viewer realise just what a physical force Haller could be, compared to the lost lone sulking striker of recent weeks. He looked like a different player against Southampton, buoyed by a goal and a fresh strike partner in Antonio. He was unlucky not to get a second with a towering header.

It's still mystifying why it has taken Pellegrini so long to realise that Haller needs a strike partner. Last season at Eintracht Frankfurt Seb formed a lethal partnership with Luka Jovic, where they scored 32 goals between them. Haller scored 15 league goals and made nine assists last season. Haller can't do what Arnautovic could, create chances for himself. But when others create for him he can certainly finish, having scored five even in a disappointing half-season.

Yet Manuel has been determined to play as many midfielders as possible, sometimes squeezing Anderson, Fornals and Lanzini into the same side. There's a risk a four-man midfield will be stretched, but Antonio is such a dynamic player that he can reinforce the midfield when necessary. From now on Antonio and Haller have to be paired together.