Southampton 0, Manchester City 1
Raheem Sterling scored as Manchester City overcame Southampton in a tough assignment at St Mary’s to go fifth in the Premier League.
Embed from Getty ImagesCity needed the win and managed to keep a clean sheet after the Saints went close several times but will look to themselves for wasting a couple of additional chances to extend their lead in the second half as Alex McCarthy saved brilliantly from Ilkay Gundogan to keep the game alive until the end.
The Saints had two penalty claims turned down, one for a high boot against Danny Ings, who later went off injured, and another for handball against Sterling.
The hard-fought win meant that City rose up to 5th in the table, ahead of Everton and Manchester United and 8 points behind league leaders Liverpool with a game in hand.
City boss Pep Guardiola made four changes to the side that drew at home to West Brom on Wednesday.
Kyle Walker, John Stones, Bernardo Silva, and Ferran Torres were recalled to the side to face Southampton.
Nathan Ake, Benjamin Mendy, Phil Foden, and Gabriel Jesus were left out of the starting line-up.
Jesus was not in the squad after receiving a blow to the face during the West Brom game while Sergio Aguero was only fit enough for the bench alongside EDS forward Felix Nmecha.
Southampton had a fully fit squad to choose from but made just one change, with Moussa Djenepo replacing Stuart Armstrong.
Both sides treasured their pressing game and there was plenty of that from both sides before City took control after just 16 minutes on a rare occasion when the beat the Saints press.
De Bruyne won a couple of early corners with deflected shots as both sides pressed each other, and Joao Cancelo brought a fine save out of Alex McCarthy with a long range shot after 13 minutes.
Rodri was offside after tucking the ball away from a Bernardo Silva free kick two minutes later.
Raheem Sterling put City into the lead in the 16th minute when he had an easy finish from 12 yards out after De Bruyne cut the ball back from the right following a long punt upfield by Ederson.
It was Sterling’s seventh goal of the season from De Bruyne’s seventh assist of the season (100 in all for City) – and also the England winger’s seventh Premier League goal against the Saints.
It was the first time this season that the Saints had conceded the first goal at home but they responded aggressively.
Jannik Vestergaard twice went close with headers from Ward-Prowse corners while Danny Ings went close from a Theo Walcott cross and Stones was relieved to head the ball behind after Che Adams failed to connect with Walcott’s cross.
Ings had a claim for a penalty waved away after claiming Ruben Dias’ high boot put him off while he was heading the ball which was waved away by Mike Dean.
The Saints suffered an injury blow just before half time when Ings went down off the ball and had to go off – replaced by Nathan Tella.
Manchester City wasteful in tense game at Southampton but get the win they need
Ferran Torres shot wide after the break while Bernardo Silva couldn’t get any power on his shot after rounding Bertrand after De Bruyne slid him through.
Saints had a penalty claim turned down against Sterling but replays showed that the ball had stuck his elbow after coming off his knee.
Nathan Redmond came on for Djenepo after 58 minutes and he had a tame shot at Ederson before failing to connect with a glorious Walcott cutback.
Romeu’s cross into the area was just too high for Bertrand as the Saints pressed hard for the equaliser.
De Bruyne had a tame shot saved by McCarthy after a rare City break, fed by Bernardo Silva.
And Riyad Mahrez replaced Torres after 72 minutes in Guardiola’s first change of the game.
Tella crossed for Che Adams but Stones deflected the clearance only for Adams to head the rebound into the side netting as the Saints continued to worry City.
McCarthy produced a great flying save to deny a rising shot by Gundogan in the 78th minute.
Walcott was offside as Ederson raced out of his area to clear a ball in, while the Saints final substitution saw youngster Daniel N’Lundulu replace Adams.
And Ederson also came off his line to deny Walcott after a good cross by Tella came in from the left.
Mahrez twice fired over the bar after he skipped inside from the right as the game went into a tense injury time with City trying to put the game out of reach.
GOAL – Southampton 0, Manchester City 1
Southampton 0, Man City 1: 16. Raheem Sterling with an easy finish from 12 yards out after Kevin De Bruyne found him with a low cut back from the right.
MATCH STATS – Southampton 0, Manchester City 1
Southampton: McCarthy, Walker-Peters, Bednarek, Vestergaard, Bertrand, Walcott, Ward-Prowse (C), Romeu, Djenepo (Redmond 58), Ings (Tella 41), Adams (N’Lundulu 82)
Southampton Subs not used: Forster, Stephens, Long, Armstrong, Salisu, Diallo
Booked: Romeu 38 (foul on Ferran Torres); Ward-Prowse 42 (foul on Ilkay Gundogan)
Man City: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Dias, Cancelo, Gundogan, Rodri, De Bruyne (C), Bernardo Silva, Sterling, Torres (Mahrez 72)
Man City Subs not used: Carson, Ake, Aguero, Zinchenko, Mendy, Fernandinho, Foden, Nmecha
Booked: De Bruyne 24 (foul on Ryan Bertrand); Ederson 81 (time wasting)
Goal: Sterling 16
Referee: Mike Dean