Manchester City 6-1 Southampton: Saints outclassed at the Etihad
By Marc Walker
Southampton made it seven games without a Premier League win after a heavy and comprehensive 6-1 defeat to Manchester City on Saturday.
A brace from Raheem Sterling, further goals from Sergio Aguero, Leroy Sane and David Silva and an own-goal completed the rout, whilst Saints could only reply with a first-half penalty from Danny Ings.
Mark Hughes chose to stick with an open formation in the hope of getting something from the game. James Waard-Prowse, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Shane Long all came into the starting line-up, whilst there was a place amongst the substitutes for 18-year-old Michael Obafemi.
Saints would have been looking to settle into the game and have a quiet opening. That lasted all of six minutes however.
Leroy Sane was played in on goal down the left and struck a shot at goal, and the ball cannoned off Wesley Hoedt and into the net for an own-goal.
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After 12 minutes, City doubled their lead as Sergio Aguero bagged his 150th Premier League goal. Raheem Sterling was allowed to run all the way to the byline and he cut back for the Argentine to tap home.
It was confirmed that a long afternoon would be ahead for Saints as a third arrived for the home side. A cross from Sterling was not dealt with well at all and David Silva volleyed spectacularly in.
Saints were handed a lifeline in the form of a penalty after 29 minutes. Danny Ings was taken down by Ederson after a lovely ball through by Ryan Bertrand, and it was Ings who stepped up and rolled in to reduce the arrears.
However, City’s three-goal advantage was restored in stoppage time as Raheem Sterling got in on the act and made it 4-1 to end an eventful first-half.
Mark Hughes and his side would need to make moves to restore some pride after the break and they began the second-half positively.
Ings was twice denied his second of the game by good saves from Ederson; once from a follow-up and another time with a flicked header from a corner.
With 20 minutes of the contest left though, Sterling would net his second of the afternoon when he latched onto a through ball from Aguero and drove low across Alex McCarthy to make it 5-1.
From that point onward, the belief seemed to drain from Saints and they looked tired after chasing City for much of the game; allowing more spaces to open up for another goal into stoppage time.
Sane got his name on the scoresheet as he was given time to pick his head up and place a shot inside the near post to complete a thoroughly miserable day for Saints.