Match ends, Southampton 0, Manchester City 3.
SouthamptonSouthampton0Man CityManchester City3
- Clinical City leapfrog Southampton into second
- All three goals came in the second half
- Saints suffer first home defeat of the season
- Aguero wrongly booked for dive in 100th PL match
Manchester City moved above opponents Southampton into second place as three second-half goals cut Chelsea's Premier League lead to six points.
Sergio Aguero, in his 100th top-flight game, pulled the ball back for Yaya Toure to drill in a low strike.
City played the final 16 minutes with 10 men after Eliaquim Mangala saw red.
But Frank Lampard's strike and a close-range finish from Gael Clichy saw City clinch their third straight win as Saints suffered a first home defeat.
| MOTD2 analysis of Southampton 0-3 Man City |
|---|
| Jermaine Jenas: "Pellegrini thought 'if I can stop Ryan Bertrand, I will cut off a big source of Southampton's attacks'. He did that by picking Jesus Navas, but the reason the plan worked did not rely on his winger doing any defending." |
| Read more:'How Navas helped see off Saints' |
Ronald Koeman's side, who had not lost in their last six matches, never looked like extending that unbeaten run against the defending champions.
City produced a professional display, restricting Southampton to few clear-cut opportunities and clinically taking their own, to take advantage of Chelsea's goalless draw at Sunderland on Saturday.
When the Premier League fixture list was released in the summer, few would have glanced at this match and marked it down as one between two teams potentially competing for Champions League qualification.
After a summer of upheaval, Koeman has rebuilt the south coast side on a strong foundation of defensive stability, with the Saints having conceded just six goals in their previous 12 top-flight matches.
But, after French holding midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin's injury forced a defensive reshuffle at half-time, they were picked apart by the visitors.
City striker Sergio Aguero, whose midweek hat-trick against Bayern Munich took him to 17 goals for this season, was expected to be the biggest threat to the home defence.
The Argentine did not add to his tally, instead turning provider for both Toure and Clichy, who poked in at the end for his first Blues goal.
However, Aguero should have been given the opportunity from the penalty spot on 10 minutes. The City talisman was scythed down by home skipper Jose Fonte's lunging tackle, but looked up to see referee Mike Jones showing a yellow card after the official decided he had dived.
But in the end, that controversial decision did not matter.
Many observers warned that Southampton's credentials would be tested in a difficult run against City, Arsenal and Manchester United - and in this game they looked short of the quality needed to break into the top four.
Koeman's men grew in confidence after a nervous start and could have opened the scoring when Steven Davis's low shot forced Joe Hart into a superb save low down to his right.
Speculative shots from Toby Alderweireld and Dusan Tadic flew past Joe Hart's right-hand post shortly after the restart, but once Toure scored his fifth goal of the season there appeared to be little way back for Saints.
And so it proved - despite Mangala, who was booked in the first-half for a cynical tackle on Tadic, seeing red after clipping home substitute Shane Long.
Line-ups
Southampton
Formation 4-3-3
- 23Forster
- 2Clyne
- 6José Fonte
- 17Alderweireld
- 21Bertrand
- 8DavisSubstituted forMayukaat 82'minutes
- 12WanyamaBooked at 7mins
- 4SchneiderlinSubstituted forYoshidaat 45'minutes
- 11Tadic
- 19Pellè
- 10ManéSubstituted forLongat 68'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Davis
- 3Yoshida
- 5Gardos
- 7Long
- 24Mayuka
- 28Reed
- 33Targett
Man City
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Hart
- 5Zabaleta
- 4KompanyBooked at 81mins
- 20MangalaBooked at 74mins
- 22Clichy
- 15NavasSubstituted forDemichelisat 76'minutes
- 25Fernandinho
- 42Y Touré
- 8NasriSubstituted forLampardat 65'minutes
- 35JoveticSubstituted forMilnerat 55'minutes
- 16AgüeroBooked at 9mins
Substitutes
- 3Sagna
- 6Reges
- 7Milner
- 13Caballero
- 18Lampard
- 26Demichelis
- 78Pozo
- Referee:
- Mike Jones
- Attendance:
- 30,919
Match Stats
Home TeamSouthamptonAway TeamMan City
- Possession
- Home52%
- Away48%
- Shots
- Home13
- Away15
- Shots on Target
- Home4
- Away6
- Corners
- Home8
- Away6
- Fouls
- Home10
- Away13
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Southampton 0, Manchester City 3.
Post update
Offside, Southampton. Ryan Bertrand tries a through ball, but Dusan Tadic is caught offside.
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Offside, Southampton. Shane Long tries a through ball, but Dusan Tadic is caught offside.
Post update
Offside, Southampton. Toby Alderweireld tries a through ball, but Dusan Tadic is caught offside.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Toby Alderweireld (Southampton) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Victor Wanyama.
Post update
Foul by James Milner (Manchester City).
Post update
Jose Fonte (Southampton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Post update
Vincent Kompany went off injured after Manchester City had used all subs.
Post update
Delay in match Vincent Kompany (Manchester City) because of an injury.
Goal!
Goal! Southampton 0, Manchester City 3. Gaël Clichy (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Sergio Agüero following a fast break.
Post update
Corner, Southampton. Conceded by Fernandinho.
Post update
Attempt saved. Victor Wanyama (Southampton) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Toby Alderweireld.
Post update
Attempt saved. Victor Wanyama (Southampton) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Emmanuel Mayuka.
Post update
Attempt saved. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Gaël Clichy with a through ball.
Post update
Attempt missed. Victor Wanyama (Southampton) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left following a corner.
Post update
Corner, Southampton. Conceded by James Milner.
Substitution
Substitution, Southampton. Emmanuel Mayuka replaces Steven Davis.
Booking
Vincent Kompany (Manchester City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
| MOTD2 analysis of Southampton 0-3 Man City |
|---|
| Jermaine Jenas:Pellegrini thought 'if I can stop Ryan Bertrand, I will cut off a big source of Southampton's attacks'. He did that by picking Jesus Navas, but the reason the plan worked did not rely on his winger doing any defending." |
| Read more:'How Navas helped see off Saints' |
