Southampton vs. Manchester City: Preview and Predictions

Tomorrow, Southampton and Manchester City will take to the pitch at St. Mary’s Stadium with both teams looking to improve on their current record. Kick-off is 5:30 pm.

With recent success from both Southampton and Manchester City, both teams are in a fight for different outcomes. It is still mathematically possible for Southampton to get European football, while Manchester City is looking for the Champions League.

Southampton find themselves four points out of 8^th place with two games in-hand of West Brom. They will be looking to take all three points against a team they took a 1-1 draw out of earlier this campaign.

Why Manchester City will win

Manchester City should come out the winners of this match. They are more talented than the Saints on paper, and that needs to count for something. Earlier in the season, they tied Southampton, but this is a different fixture. Pep Guardiola has this team in striking distance of Champions League football in his first year as manager for Manchester City and I can guarantee you that they will not back down.

If Manchester City’s players can step up to the plate and play to their potential, we could see heavy scoring and potentially something that gets out of hand. Southampton has been sensational as of late, but we all should know better than to underestimate Manchester City.

WATFORD, ENGLAND – MARCH 04: Manolo Gabbiadini of Southampton shoots during the Premier League match between Watford and Southampton at Vicarage Road on March 4, 2017 in Watford, England. (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images) /

Why Southampton will win

Southampton is the hot team at the moment. Having won their last two fixtures against Crystal Palace and West Brom, they look like the team they were set out to be at the beginning of the season. Dominating possession, shots, and essentially every other stat from these last two games, they look like a team fighting for European football.

The return of Manolo Gabbiadini is one of the biggest upgrades that Southampton can get. The newly-acquired Italian striker is scoring a goal every 70 minutes in the Premier League at the moment. He is one of the most important pieces of the Southampton team and can single-handedly win Southampton matches. If he can get going early, Southampton may be impossible to keep up with down the stretch.

Manchester City’s English midfielder Fabian Delph (R) celebrates scoring his team’s third goal during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Hull City at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on April 8, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Geoff CADDICK / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo credit should read GEOFF CADDICK/AFP/Getty Images) /

Manchester City Predicted XI

Goalkeeper- Claudio Bravo

Defenders- Jesus Navas, Vincent Kompany, John Stones, Gael Clichy

Midfield- Fabian Delph, Yaya Toure, Leroy Sane, David Silve, Rahim Sterling

Forward- Sergio Aguero

Southampton Predicted XI

Goalkeeper- Fraser Forster

Defenders- Cedric Soares, Jack Stephens, Maya Yoshida, Ryan Bertrand

Midfield- Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Steven Davis, James Ward-Prowse, Dusan Tadic, Nathan Redmond

Forward- Manolo Gabbiadini

The Verdict

Although Manchester City is the more talented team, that doesn’t necessarily mean they will come out with the win. Southampton has looked like a top-7 team as of late and that doesn’t look to be stopped anytime soon. Especially with the arrival of Manolo Gabbiadini.

At the end of the day, both teams will score, but I do not see one team pulling ahead of the other. Look for an exciting, attack-heavy game that will showcase both team’s strengths.

Southampton 2-2 Manchester City