Match Summary: Southampton vs Manchester City

Southampton vs. Manchester city 

30th November 2014       13:30 kick-off                      

 Match report by William Okafor-Oregan

Image from bbc.co.uk

Southampton went into this game winning 11 wins out of their last 13 games while only conceding six goals in the process and are unbeaten at St. Mary’s stadium since April. They are the Premier League’s surprise package this season, especially after losing key players and their manager in the summer.

It was in only the first six minutes of the game when the game really came to life as Sergio Aguero, on his 100th premier league appearance, went down on the edge of the 18-yard box and was booked for diving. A very questionable decision as replays showed there was contact and it inside of the penalty area. It was Aguero’s first ever yellow card for simulation in the league. Ten minutes later, Manchester City’s first real chance of the game came when Yaya Toure curled a long range effort but was comfortably saved by Forster. Not too long after, it was Southampton with intelligent play as Wanyama launched a pass out to the left wing to Bertrand, where a lobbed cross from Schneiderlin found Pelle desperately close to volleying home a goal for the Saints and two rebounds from Davis and Tadic were saved from Joe Hart and blocked by Kompany. On the half-our mark, Man city could’ve gone ahead but a goal line clearance denied Jovetic a goal after the shot not-megged Forster.

In the second half, things were improving for the home side as Alderwield drove a 35-yard shot to the far post but went quite wide of the mark. A minute later a shot towards the corner of the box from Tadic bounced only less than a meter wide of the bottom corner.

But finally the first goal of the game came when Fernandinho stole the ball for Man city and progressed up the field and switched the ball to Jovetic but after a luck deflection into the path of Aguero who subsequently layed off the ball for Toure to smash a deflected shot into the Southampton net- only his second goal of the campaign so far.

A dangerous opportunity for the home team to go two goals down rose as a Manchester City corner, as Captain Vincent Kompany flicked the cross to the back post where Aguero was ready to poach a goal had it not been for a good clearance by Southampton. A bookable offence emerged as Zabaleta seemingly shoved Pelle off the field in a duel for the ball and Pelle nearly injured his head as he nearly hit a camera in the aftermath of push.

But as Shane Long did superbly well to rob Man city’s goal scorer of the ball and was soon shoved to the ground by Man city’s towering defender, Mangala. It was then a second yellow card for Mangala, who was sent off and given away a free-kick that eventually came to nothing. On 80 minutes Man city had yet again stolen the ball from Southampton’s midfield and a promising run from Milner who slowed down and squared the ball to Lampard, who shot a precise and powerful drive to the bottom corner, his fifth goal for the club, but his 174th in the Premier league and there was not much chance of Forster saving the shot either.

Image by dailymail.co.uk

Three minutes later, a corner was won for Southampton but a poor delivery from Tadic then an even poorer shot by Wanyama, resulted in a City break and an amazing lobbed through ball by Gael Clichy nearly gave Aguero the chance to wrap up the points but the argentine could not beat Forster one-on-one. A couple minutes later in a Southampton build-up, they were dispossessed again by Fernandinho who ran up the field and passed well to Sergio Aguero who slipped in trying to beat the Southampton defense only 20 yards away from goal. This clearly wasn’t going to be his day. But an incredible counter- attack from the Saints went close to pulling a goal back but a Shane Long cross in the box couldn’t be met by the out-stretched leg of Pelle.

Another corner went to Southampton soon after as Fernandinho blocked yet another Tadic cross. But yet another bad cross was quickly intercepted and Man city counter attacked with purpose and style to seal their third goal. Lampard and Clichy exchanged passes before, centre-back Demicheles found himself with the ball in the opponent’s half and he’s through ball to Aguero, who sublimely played a low cross into the path of Gael Clichy, who himself lashed a finish into the top corner from 6 yards out to score his first-ever Man city goal.

Image by dailymail.co.uk

The game was settled in the 88th minute of the game and Man city more than comfortably out-played an unusually-untidy Southampton side. A late knock for Kompany in the game was the only concern for Manchester City but the game was deservedly won. The score 3-0 to Man City.