MANCHESTER CITY 6, SOUTHAMPTON 1
A four goal first half salvo was enough for Manchester City to despatch Southampton.
Wesley Hoedt’s own goal started the rout after 6 minutes but goals by Sergio Aguero and David Silva on 12 and 18 minutes gave City a towering lead.
Aguero’s strike meant he became only the ninth player to reach 150 Premier League goals.
Danny Ings won a penalty after being fouled by Ederson, and the Saints striker spoiled City’s attempts to get a seventh consecutive Premier League clean sheet with his spot kick after 30 minutes.
This proved to be just a petty annoyance for City who were queuing up to score a few minutes later, passing the ball around at close range around the Southampton penalty spot, but unable to get through the desperate Saints blockade.
Inevitably, City restored their 3 goal lead just before the break when Raheem Sterling clipped the ball home after Sergio Aguero had won it close to the Saints byline and passed to the England winger.
Southampton improved after half time, creating chances but unable to take them, as City took the foot off the gas but Leroy Sane came closest to scoring with a shot that rattled the post from 20 yards out.
Sterling punished the tiring Saints with a fifth goal after Aguero supplied him again after 67 minutes.
And Sterling unselfishly gave up his hat trick to lay on City’s sixth for Sane in injury time to complete the rout.
PLAYER RATINGS – MANCHESTER CITY 6, SOUTHAMPTON 1
Ederson: 6. Culpable for the penalty and committed himself early as Danny Ings converted. Saved efforts by James Ward-Prowse and Danny Ings in a more active second half.
Kyle Walker: 7. Took an early knock which he ran off. Effectively patrolled the right flank.
John Stones: 6. Failed to intercept ball to Danny Ings from which he won the penalty.
Aymeric Laporte: 6. Good distribution, not troubled by Southampton.
Benjamin Mendy: 7. Better defensively than recently but still too casual at times. Joined in attack occasionally.
Fernandinho: 8. Very effective at breaking up most of the Southampton moves.
Bernardo Silva: 8. Kept the ball and passed it very well, linking with attack. Very effective with ball retention.
David Silva: 8. Took his goal well and might have had more.
Raheem Sterling: 10. His crossing unlocked the Saints defence time and again. Scored twice and made another two goals.
Leroy Sane: 9. A constant danger down the left flank. Switched to the right flank after the break and rattled the woodwork from 20 yards out. Plenty of cut backs from the byline but nobody there for the tap-in. Finally got on the scoresheet in added time when Sterling unselfishly passed to him.
Sergio Aguero: 9. Very active against a weak defence, took his goal very well and made two goals for Raheem Sterling with his high work rate and awareness. Booked for petulantly kicking the ball away after a handball.
Vincent Kompany (for John Stones 68): 6. Brought on to freshen up the defence.
Phil Foden (for David Silva 72): 6. Couple of nice touches. Won a free kick on the edge of the area late on, mishit a chance, but also started the move that ended with Leroy Sane’s goal.
Fabian Delph (for Fernandinho 79): Too late to mark
GOALS – MANCHESTER CITY 6, SOUTHAMPTON 1
Man City 1, Southampton 0: 6. Wesley Hoedt put through his own net from 2 yards out trying to clear a cross into the area by Leroy Sane after he had been put through by David Silva
Man City 2, Southampton 0: 12. Raheem Sterling’s twisting run ended with a quick cut back which was stabbed in from 4 yards out by Sergio Aguero for his 150th Premier League goal – only the 9th player to reach that landmark.
Man City 3, Southampton 0: 18. David Silva volleyed in Jack Stephens’ defensive header out after he met Raheem Sterling’s cross under pressure from Leroy Sane.
Man City 3, Southampton 1: 30. Danny Ings brought down by Ederson – penalty. Ings casually rolls it into the right corner to score for Saints.
Man City 4, Southampton 1: 45+2. Raheem Sterling clips the ball home from 8 yards after Sergio Aguero won the ball at the Southampton byline and cut it back into the danger zone.
Man City 5, Southampton 1: 67. Raheem Sterling scored his second of the match after Sergio Aguero slipped him in for a shot wide on the right.
Man City 6, Southampton 1: 90+1. Leroy Sane got on the scoresheet after Phil Foden started a move for Raheem Sterling who unselfishly squared to Sane. One shimmy later to create space and the German scored from the edge of the area.
MATCH STATS – MANCHESTER CITY 6, SOUTHAMPTON 1
Man City: Ederson, Walker, Stones (Kompany 68), Laporte, Mendy, Fernandinho (Delph 79), Bernardo Silva, David Silva (Foden 72), Sterling, Sane, Aguero
Man City Subs not used: Muric, Danilo, Mahrez, Jesus
Booked: Aguero 38
Goals: Hoedt og 6; Aguero 12; David Silva 18; Sterling 45+2, 67; Sane 90+1
Southampton: McCarthy, Soares, Stephens, Hoedt, Bertrand, Redmond (Elyounoussi 73), Ward-Prowse (Obafemi 73), Hojbjerg, Lemina, Long, Ings (Armstrong 82)
Southampton Subs not used: Gunn, Yoshida, Vestergaard, Austin
Booked: Ward-Prowse 10
Goal: Ings pen 30