Manchester City played hosts to Southampton at the Etihad Stadium earlier today hoping to close the gap to Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table. The Citizens started the contest on the front foot but conceded a cheap goal when James Ward-Prowse scored from close range.
The Mancunian outfit kept the pressure on for major periods of the second half and finally scored the equaliser via Sergio Aguero’s goal in the 70th minute. Kyle Walker won the match for his team when he found the back of the net with a clever, off-balance finish in the 86th minute.
The encounter ended with the English champions claiming a 2-1 win over the side from the south coast of England.
Let’s take a look at how each Man City player fared during the clash against the Saints.
GK: Ederson – 4/10
The Brazilian keeper gifted the visitors a goal when he spilt the ball which fell to Ward-Prowse who made no mistake from close range. It was a day to forget for the Man City custodian.
RB: Kyle Walker – 7.5/10
The English full-back delivered a couple of decisive crosses into the Southampton penalty box. He also managed to score the winning goal in the 86th minute to bail his team out from dropping more points.
CB: John Stones – 7/10
The English centre-back put in a commanding display at the heart of the Man City defence. He passed the ball accurately and looked assured at the back.
CB: Fernandinho – 6/10
He had a comfortable game while operating as a makeshift centre-back. However, his passes in the opposition half were not inventive enough to open up the Southampton defence.
LB: Angelino – 7/10
He was a decent outlet for Man City down the left flank. Angelino won most of his duels and put in an impressive performance at left-back.
CM: Kevin De Bruyne – 7/10
The Belgian international began the contest a bit slow but slowly grew into the game. He was the home team’s creator-in-chief in the second half as he orchestrated a few excellent chances for his teammates.
CM: IIkay Gündogan – 6/10
The German talent kept things ticking in midfield, but he needed to be more inventive with his passing. Overall, it was an average display from Gundogan at the centre of the park.
CM: David Silva – 5/10
The Spaniard was too slow and failed to make a positive impact in the first half. He was substituted at half-time.
RM: Bernardo Silva – 5/10
The Portuguese wide player tried to do too much but lacked the cutting edge in the final third. He will be hoping for better days in a Man City shirt.
ST: Sergio Agüero – 6.5/10
The Argentine striker kept trying and trying before he finally succeeded to find the back of the net in the 70th minute.
LM: Raheem Sterling – 6/10
His blistering pace caused a few problems for the Saints defenders. However, he failed to make a telling contribution in the offensive end of the field.
Substitutes:
ST: Gabriel Jesus – 6.5/10
The Brazilian youngster was a constant menace for the Southampton defenders in the second half.
RM: Phil Foden – N/A
The English rising star did not have enough time to make an impact.
