Advertisement

Man City 3-1 Southampton: Slick City punish Saints

NBC Sports

Manchester City beat Southampton 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday with the Citizens riding a fast start to victory.

Kevin De Bruyne and Fabian Delph put City 2-0 up by halftime but Saints came back into the game with Shane Long heading home and Dusan Tadic going close, however Aleksandar Kolarov made it 3-1.

With the win City move to 29 points, while Saints remain on 20.

[ RELATED: Watch full match replays ]

City came flying out of the traps with Sterling playing a great one-two and striking a low shot which Stekelenburg saved well and cleared well with the ball played back to him.

[ RELATED: Latest Premier League standings ]

The Citizens were all over Saints as Aleksandar Kolarov whipped in a free kick that Stekelenburg clawed out of the top corner and held onto the rebound well under pressure. Nine minutes in the opening goal arrived with Maya Yoshida giving the ball away cheaply to Sterling and he ran into the box and set up De Bruyne to head home. 1-0.

[ VIDEO: Premier League highlights ]

Wave after wave after City attack continued in the pouring rain in Manchester with Oriol Romeu giving the ball away cheaply but Stekelenburg saved well from Yaya Toure.

Steven Davis then appeared to block Fernandinho‘s effort on the line with his hand but the officials missed it and from the resulting corner City went 2-0 up. The ball was half cleared to Delph and his shot struck Virgil Van Dijk and deflected in.

Moments later Van Dijk strolled forward from the back and drilled a superb effort towards the top corner but the ball rattled off the bar and out. Victor Wanyama then had an overhead kick saved well by Willy Cabellero but Saints’ skipper Jose Fonte went off injured before the break.

[ MORE: Full lineups, stats, box score ]

Saints improved in the second half and soon halved the deficit. Substitute Tadic took a quick free kick to Sadio Mane and his cross found Long at the back post who rose like a salmon to head home. That made it 2-1 City and Southampton were in the ascendancy.

Tadic danced through City’s defense and almost chipped Caballero, then Fernandinho seemed to block Steven Davis’ rebound with his arm as Southampton piled forward at every opportunity in the second half.

Tadic then had another shot which Caballero saved well down low but City sealed the win as they broke and De Bruyne’s pass found Kolarov who hammered home. 3-1 to the Citizens and that’s how it finished despite Saints pressing to get back into the game.