SOUTHAMPTON 3, MANCHESTER CITY 1
City may well look back on this match as the game where their season ultimately fell apart, with the title now ready to be reclaimed by United who snatched Roberto Mancini’s number 1 target in the summer: Robin Van Persie. United could find themselves a massive 12 points ahead of City by the end of tomorrow with 12 games to play and they will do so knowing that City have fallen well short of their own high standards from last season.
The Dutchman has been precise and prolific where City’s attacking minded players have suffered a lack of form most of the season and teams have taken advantage of their defensive frailties this season. The beginning of 2013 once again saw City stripped of defenders through international commitments and injuries.
City manager Roberto Mancini was furious at City’s limp performance and effectively dismissed their title hopes.
“It was a really poor performance. Southampton were better than us. We conceded two goals which I didn’t think a team like us could concede.
The Italian didn’t mince his words as he continued to tear into City’s poor performance and refused to blame the international break for the defeat:
“I’ve never seen our team concede goals like this. In the end we made two incredible mistakes. The performance was really poor. We played this game with only two or three players. Three versus 11 was really difficult.
“I was really disappointed with my players today. When we perform like today I’m very angry. The players were away on international duty – that’s not an excuse, but it is a reason. Some of our players came back on Friday and we played today. This made it difficult. In the end we played badly.
Mancini found it hard to admit that the title was slipping away from City but tried to be upbeat.
“It’ll be very difficult to win the league. We have only a 10% chance to win the league. I don’t think United will drop 12 points.”
Mistakes by Javi Garcia and Joe Hart plus a ridiculous own goal by Gareth Barry appear to have finished City’s hopes of retaining their title this season.
City couldn’t even turn to Carlos Tevez from the bench as a solution as the Argentinian had been omitted from the travelling squad for personal reasons.
Garcia, used in central defence again in the absence of both Vincent Kompany and Matija Nastasic despite the presence of Kolo Toure on the bench, proved to be vulnerable as the Saints opted to attack City’s vulnerable back line of Joleon Lescott and Garcia.
It wasn’t long before their pressing and attacking policy reaped the rewards of Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino’s gambit.
Barry gave the ball away in midfield and allowed Jason Puncheon to break and feed the ball to Jay Rodriguez. Hart tried to charge down Rodriguez in the 7th minute but the ball broke for Puncheon who opened the scoring while surrounded by City defenders.
The England ‘keeper might have saved Ronaldinho’s penalty on Wednesday but he was at fault with a howler for Southampton’s second on 21 minutes as Rickie Lambert’s shot was fumbled and dropped and the loose ball was poached by Steven Davis to put Southampton 2-0 up.
Edin Dzeko, otherwise anonymous during the game, pulled one back for City on 38 minutes after Southampton overcommitted themselves at a corner leaving themselves wide open to a counter attack by Pablo Zabaleta.
The Saints could have restored their 2 goal lead in added time at the end of the first half after Jay Rodriguez appeared to have been barged down by Yaya Toure in the City area but referee Martin Atkinson declined to give the penalty.
The City come-back was short-lived, however, as Gareth Barry put through his own net shortly after the re-start, despite being under no pressure from Rickie Lambert, to restore the Saints’ 2 goal cushion.
With over 40 minutes to pull a result out of the hat, a City comeback might have been possible last season but this season’s City never looked like raining on Southampton’s parade with many of their attacking players including Samir Nasri, Yaya Toure and David Silva well short of Champions form.