Manchester City 2-1 Southampton

Manchester City left it late but kept on the coat-tails of leaders Liverpool with a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over strugglers Southampton at the Etihad. After City beat Southampton 3-1 in the EFL Cup in midweek and with the Saints having been hammered 9-0 by Leicester City at home last Friday, many would have been expecting a routine win for the champions, but that was far from the case.
Sergio Aguero did waste an early headed opportunity and Ilkay Gundogan blazed way over in a bright enough start for the hosts, but Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men visibly grew in confidence after taking a shock lead.
There appeared to be little threat from Stuart Armstrong’s shot from the edge of the box but Ederson still failed to secure it at his near post and James Ward-Prowse ran in to convert the rebound in the visitors first real attack.
The goal advantage gave the Saints the perfect excuse to defend in numbers and hit City on the break, and they did that to great effect in the first period.
City bossed territory and possession from then on but found the Southampton rearguard in particularly resolute form with Alex McCarthy being protected from making any kind of save, although he did misjudge one corner and John Stones should have perhaps done better with his free header from close range.
Southampton did finish the half quite strongly with Danny Ings bringing a comfortable save out of Ederson with only the game’s second shot on target on the stroke of half-time.
Gabriel Jesus was introduced at the break in place of the quiet David Silva to give Aguero more support in and around the box, although the pattern of the game continued in much the same vein with City struggling to find an opening in an often crowded box.
Aguero wasted another headed chance as it looked like it wasn’t going to be his day but his perseverance finally paid off when he scored the equaliser with 20 minutes left, stroking through the legs of McCarthy – who was perhaps unsighted – after great work down the right from Kyle Walker. That goal was City’s first shot on target, and the game changed dramatically with the hosts going all out for the win.
Bernardo Silva saw a strong shot brilliantly tipped over the bar by McCarthy before De Bruyne fired a free-kick just wide, and Aguero saw his close-range shot on the turn deflect the wrong side of the upright.
Southampton had long since given up on trying to score another goal as they desperately attempted to hang on for a point, but in the end the pressure eventually told.
With just four minutes of normal time left, Angelino put in his umpteenth cross from the left with a back-pedalling McCarthy only able to flap the ball into the path of Kyle Walker, and he volleyed it home to put City in front.
Jesus was brilliantly denied by McCarthy from close range while City also wasted a couple of overload opportunities at the death, but were relieved in the end to have simply come away with the win.
Pep Guardiola’s men stay six points behind Liverpool, while Southampton are now two points off safety in 18th place.