Manchester City faced off against Southampton at the Etihad Stadium looking to bag their 12th consecutive Premier League victory. Pep Guardiola was once again reunited with his former Barcelona team-mate and Southampton boss Mauricio Pellegrino. After Manchester United’s win against Watford yesterday, the lead at the top was now cut to just five points.
The Blues of Manchester needed to respond immediately and they did exactly that by securing a late victory over the Saints through a second-half goal from Kevin De Bruyne and a last minute match winner from Raheem Sterling. Oriel Romeu scored the equaliser for the Saints, which turned out to be a consolation.
Let’s shed some light on how each Manchester City player fared on the night.
GK: Ederson – 7/10
The Brazilian didn’t have much to do in the game but did the little things right when called upon. He looked composed on the ball and sprayed the passes well. The 24-year-old had no chance of stopping the Southampton equaliser.
RB: Kyle Walker – 6/10
The English right-back did not have the best of games. He looked a bit tired at times and failed to bombard the right flank with his speedy runs enough.
CB: Nicolás Otamendi – 5/10
Southampton looked dangerous from corners and the Saints could have scored at least two goals if they managed to apply the finishing touch in the first half. The Argentine failed to deal with the aerial threats of the Saints. However, he fared better after the break by forcing the opening goal of the match for Manchester City.
CB: Vincent Kompany – 6/10
The City captain looked good in possession but is still far away from hitting top form. He did not have that commanding presence while defending set-pieces and has a lot to improve.
LB: Fabian Delph – 6/10
He was at fault for the Saints’ equaliser when Sofiane Boufal outfoxed him at the far post. Otherwise, he had a strong game and looked solid at left-back.
CM: Fernandinho – 6/10
The Brazilian midfielder looked solid while shielding his defence and doing all the dirty work at the centre of the park. However, his two long-range attempts never looked like going in.
CM: Kevin De Bruyne – 6/10
The Belgian put in a dangerous ball from the freekick and would like to claim Manchester City’s opening goal. He was the creative force today with David Silva out of the side. He also gave Raheem Sterling the return ball in the dying embers of the game which ultimately resulted in Sterling curling in the match winner.
RAM: Raheem Sterling – 10/10
The English winger has turned out to be the match winner in quite a number of matches this season. He grew stronger as the match went on and scored the match winner with a beautiful curling effort. Pep Guardiola has shown faith in him and he’s repaying it in full with his performances this season.
LAM: İlkay Gündoğan – 5/10
He was unlucky not to score in the first half when his rebound caught the side of the Saints’ net. The German found it tough replacing David Silva in the starting eleven and had an uneventful game for the Citizens.
ST: Gabriel Jesus – 5/10
The Brazilian striker huffed and puffed but couldn’t produce for his team on the night.
ST: Sergio Aguero – 5/10
The Argentine also had a forgettable game and failed to find the finishing touch tonight.
Substitutes
David Silva – 6/10
The Spanish magician linked up the play well after coming on to replace Gabriel Jesus in the 75th minute.
Bernardo Silva – N/A
Barely had any time to make an impact on the match.
