NB: Video on this article has been removed in accordance to international license restrictions.
By Louis Anderson-Rich
Hello and welcome to St. Mary’s stadium where we have relegation candidates Southampton taking on Championship hunting Manchester City.
Manchester City have fallen nine points behind Manchester United at the top of table and will be targeting games like these as must-wins.
Southampton haven’t won in four games as their fight for Premier League survival plays out. They are three points above the relegation zone and will be hoping to pick up something from this game.
Both teams have a penchant for attacking football and the last time they met it was a 3-2 thriller to Manchester City, but can Southampton turn the tables?
We bring you live streaming written commentary, video highlights (available immediately AFTER the final whistle) and all the action of the English Premier League.
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LIVE COMMENTARY… Southampton 3 v 1 Manchester City
90+5 Min: That’s it it’s all over! Southampton get a fantastic victory! VIDEO UP
90+1 Min: City have a corner kick... Kolarov swings the corner in but Boruc punches away.
90 Min: Five minutes of stoppage time is the word on the street.
89 Min: Ward-Prowse with a magnificent sliding tackle on Kolarov down the left! Sums up Southamton’s performance: full of life and guile.
87 Min: Jack Cork wins the ball of Gareth Barry…Cross goes in the box, no one around, Garcia leaving the ball for Hart and Lallana is chasing it in! Garcia forced to clear.
86 Min: Another good ball in for Aguero just eludes him…Another City cross comes in but Boruc palms it away, Kolarov back to retrieve it…
85 Min: …but they can’t do anything with it and Lallana plays a ball through for Rodriguez in behind the defence! Offside, just!
84 Min: Lallana gets around Maicon after falling to the ground…Ward-Prowse chases the ball back down the right and City finally have the ball…
83 Min: Lallana onside down the right! He plays it back for Lambert who gives it to Ward-Prowse who gets around Yaya Toure so easily. Southampton playing keep ball at the moment and they’re playing it well.
82 Min: Good ball across from Kolarov for Dzeko! Southampton header away…danger still there though, Man City starting to exert some dominance on the game although City have resorted to flopping for penalties.
79 Min: City have a corner. Kolarov takes and Southampton header away with everyone behind the ball. Southampton on the counter and Richardson plays a great ball through the middle for Lallana! Oh no wait had too much on it.
77 Min: Richardson is caught by Kolarov with a dangerous sliding tackle. Free-kick to Southampton.
74 Min: Great ball from Aguero to Kolarov down the left, He puts a low cross into the six yard box! Boruc saves.
72 Min: Southampton simply playing with the ball on the left wing. Now Lambert puts a ball across the box for Cork who takes a touch and unleashes a shot! Over the bar. David Silva off for Maicon? Doon’t City need more attackers?
70 Min: Man City still on the attack and they suddenly have a spring in their step…Toure gives it to Kolarov down the left with some space, Cross comes in and ball is cleared. Yaya Toure picks up a yellow card.
68 Min: Aguero gets the ball in the box and gives it to Dzeko who has Kolarov streaming up outside! Instead Dzeko goes himself and wins a corner which is headed out by Southampton.
67 Min: Kolarov on for Lescott and his first touch is almost an intercepted back pass.
66 Min: Schneiderlin and Lallana link up well down the left, now Rodriguez has a bit of a dribble and he plays it to Lambert on the edge of the box, City can’t get the ball. Lambert back across for Schneiderlin with the shot! Blasts it over.
64 Min: Boruc at the back with a couple of touches to confuse Edin Dzeko. Almost caught out though.
62 Min: Manchester City still looking for a way through but Southampton launch a counter-attack with ease as Lambert beats Garcia in the air…Southampton with a throw deep in City’s half.
59 Min: City with a free-kick, Toure plays a one-two with Aguero and shoots first time! That one ball has entered orbit.
58 Min: Southampton with a free-kick that they launch into the box…headed away and Clichy on the counter-attack…Nasri has come off for Milner.
55 Min: Southampton just had a spell of making Maqn City looking unbelievably average! They really had City under the pump!
49 Min: Another fantastic ball for Ricky Lambert this time from Davis! Lambert squares it up once more and Gareth Barry has scored an inexplicable own goal! He’s slotted it away with the calmest of passes! GOAL!
48 Min: Great ball through for Ricky Lambert into the box! He gases Garcia! Lambert cuts back inside andlays it off for Puncheon who shots! Blazes it over the bar.
47 Min: Schneiderlin nips in and dispossesses Barry, Gives it to Davis who bears down on the box, takes the long shot! Takes a deflection and Joe Hart gathers with ease.
46 Min: Man City get the second half underway!
Players back out on the field and we are very close to getting the second half underway.
That’s halftime! Can City get themselves back into it?
45+2 Min: Big penalty shout down the other end! Toure on Rodriguez! Looks like a foul to me after Toure leaned heavily on Rodriguez! Southampton only get a corner…falls to Lambert who chips the ball back in but it’s cleared by Clichy.
45+1 Min: City with a slick attack see’s Zabaleta break down the right hand side, Nasri cross onto the penalty shot for Silva who is arriving! Shot fired straight at Boruc.
45 Min: Free-kick to Man City to end the half…Barry kncks it forward and it almost slips through for Silva. Southampton with the counter attack though, they’ve worked in downfield for Lambert down the left, Lambert crosses and Schneiderlin with the volley at the back post! Hit’s the side-netting.
44 Min: Garcia called up for climbing on Ricky Lambert and Southampton have a free-kick in a good position…Ball sung in but eventually Hooiveld commits a foul on Toure.
42 Min: Davis takes it and it’s towards Rodriguez, ball headed out by Garcia, falls to Puncheon who has a crack! Well wide of the target.
41 Min: Fox takes the corner and wins another one out of it.
40 Min: mistake by Danny Fox, Nasri pounces on it and tries to put a cross into the box but Southampton clear and now they counter….Lambert with a deep searching ball to the back post for Rodriguez but Zabaleta gets there first and heads it behind for a corner.
39 Min: Southampton with a corner. Dzeko gets to it, Silva with the ball back to Dzeko, Dzeko with acres in front of him! Nobody in support though, he’s gives it back to Silva who picks out Zabaleta down the right! Zabaleta inot the box, lays it square Dzeko gets a touch that goes over his own head and into the GOAL! Man City pull one back!
38 Min: City consistently trying to play a ball over the top but it’s not working, the Southampton defence are well up to the challenge. Nathaniel Clyne lets loose with a fizzing shot that just grazes the roof of the net City net!
35 Min: Ball squeezed through for Dzeko who is forced to cross it and Southampton clear the ball with ease and the get on the counter attack. Garcia back to tidy it up.
34 Min: Zabaleta almost curls a cheeky shot in at the back post.
33 Min: Ball thumped downfield and Dzeko on the chase, Dzeko in the box but Yoshida makes a wonderful tackle!
32 Min: City concede a corner…Davis with the corner, Toure up for it…falls to Schneiderlin who gives it to Puncheon in the box but he can’t turn and get his shot off. Ball still with Southampton and it’s Rodriguez on the other side of the box shooting from a narrow angle! Just wide of the post.
30 Min: City defence at sixes and sevens with their passing. Now they get into a rhythm though and Zabaleta and Nasri link uop down the right. Zabaleta pushes it inside to Dzeko but Southampton cancel out the attack.
29 Min: Southampton look to break and they make some good distance. Straight back into the City half…Davis flagged for offside.
28 Min: Man City pick up a free kick on the edge of the box after Dzeko went down under a tackle from Hooiveld. This is a dangerous position for City…Nasri and Aguero stand over the ball…Nasri will leave it to Aguero. Aguero shoots! Hits the wall.
27 Min: Barry with the ball down the right…Lambert picks up the first yellow card of the night for a foul on Garcia.
26 Min: Clichy takes a wild swing at the ball and gets it into the box, Dzeko gets a head on it but his knock down doesn’t find anyone.
25 Min: Barry gives the ball away in the middle of the park again. Southampton counter but Clichy is there to defend.
24 Min: Consistent pressure on the City centre backs. Rodriguez and Lambert constantly closing them down.
22 Min: Puncheon and Lambert link up down the other end of the field, Lambert cuts inside and into the box! Lambert shoots with the left! Hart saves, but the ball’s dribbled through his legs! Davis gets the follow-up! GOAL! Calamitous for Hart!
21 Min: Silva’s corner headed away. Silva gets the ball back in the same spot and looks to cross again but Southampton head away.
20 Min: Steven Davis loses possession in the middle and Dzeko has it. Backto Toure.Nasri now links up with Zabaleta down the right who puts a cross over. Southampton clear behind for a corner.
19 Min: Tooure finds Zabaleta with space on the right of Southampton’s box. He puts in a cross but Hooiveld nods it away.
18 Min: Fox whips a ball into the box but no one can get on the end of it and now Barry breaks with aguero down the right wing…Clyne back to defend well.
17 Min: Man City with a free-kick in a good spot. Silva will launch it into the box…Dzeko gets his head up to it! Flicks it on! Shouts for handball! Southampton clear their lines!
16 Min: Southampton lose the ball in their half to Aguero who goes on a darting run into the box and fires a ball across the face of the goal! No one on it!
15 Min: Zabaleta called for offside.
14 Min: Aguero streams ahead, lays it off for Nasri who passes straight to Southampton’s defence…rare bit of Man City possession at the moment….Nasri takes on Fox down the right and can’ get around him, good defending from Fox.
13 Min: Cork goes long and in behind the Man City defence! Rodriguez almost gets a touch on it in the box but the ball runs away into the arms of Joe Hart.
12 Min: Puncheon takes on Clichy and wins a corner with his cross…Davis with the cross…Hooiveld gets the flick on but Man City clear their lines….Man City are winning nothing in the middle at the moment. Cork to Lambert to Puncheon.
11 Min: Clyne kicks the ball upfield, Clichy chases back and plays the ball back to Hart, Rodriguez almost sneaks in on the back pass! Man City looking off the pace big time.
9 Min: Man City looking to strike back immediately as Aguero shoots from outside the box, easy save for Artur Boruc.
8 Min: Puncheon catches out Barry down the right wing! He’s found Rodriguez on the edge of the box, space around him! Rodriguez tackled in the box by Toure! Ball falls for Puncheon! Puncheon slots it home! GOAL!
7 Min: Jason Puncheon with the ball on the right, goes cross-field to Lambert who gets the knock down can someone get on the end of that? Lescott clears away.
6 Min: Good tenacity from Fox to win the ball, goes inside to Davis who can’t find anyone to link up with.
5 Min: Cork puts a ball up for Rodriguez who has floated in between the middle of the two centre backs! Hart has to come out and claim the ball on the edge of the box.
4 Min: Lambert puts the pressure on Javi Garcia quickly, Hart receives the back pass and kicks it out on the full.
3 Min: Danny Fox tries to launch a ball into the box from a free-kick but not a single red-shirt is there.
2 Min: First foul is on Schneiderlin.
1 Min: Southampton kick-off and we are underway! Zabaleta down the right early on he gives away the ball to Rodriguez as Southampton look to press high up the field.
Pre-game formalities out of the way. Let’s get on with the football!
Man City: Hart, Garcia, Lescott, Zabaleta, Clichy, Nasri, Barry, Yaya Toure, Silva, Aguero, Dzeko
Confirmed teams are: Southampton - Boruc, Hooiveld, Yoshida, Clyne, Fox, Cork, Davis, Schneiderlin, Puncheon, Lambert, Rodriguez
Can Southampton get their first win under Mauriccio Pochettino? Against the English Champions Man City no less?
Looks like we’re ready for play at the St. Mary’s the teams are almost out on the field.
Kick-off isn’t far away but in the meantime you can watch highlights of Manchester City’s recent 2-2 draw with Liverpool.
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Likely line-ups:
Southampton: Boruc, Hooiveld, Yoshida, Clyne, Fox, Cork, Davis, Schneiderlin, Puncheon, Lambert, Rodriguez
Manchester City: Hart, Garcia, Lescott, Zabaleta, Clichy, Nasri, Barry, Yaya Toure, Silva, Aguero, Dzeko
Pregame Banter:
Manchester United's biggest fan when they take on Real Madrid in the Champions League round of 16 will be Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini.
City exited the Champions League in the group stage for the second successive season, and Mancini now hopes Europe will prove to be a distraction for United.
"It is normal when you play against Real Madrid in the Champions League you can lose your strength," Mancini says. "So I support Manchester United to go through in the Champions League."
City is at Southampton, having slipped further behind United by losing its last two games.
"They have nine points more than us, but if we can recover eight points in six games, recovering nine in 13 games will be easy," Mancini says. "I never remember the title race being finished 10 or 13 games before the end.
"Three years ago Chelsea were nine points behind at one point. By the time they played at Old Trafford two or three games from the end, they were only three points behind. In the end, if Manchester United win all their games from now to the end of the season, they deserve to win. But I am sure we have another chance."
Chelsea doesn't, it seems.
Rafa Benitez's side is seven points behind City and 16 points adrift of United. Chelsea hosts Wigan after Tottenham, which is just a point behind its London rival in fourth, plays Newcastle.
Chelsea collapsed at Newcastle last weekend to lose 3-2.
"We know the problems and we are working on the solutions," Benitez says. "The main thing is that you can score two goals, and then you are 2-0 up at halftime, then you have to finish the games.
"Against Newcastle we scored two goals, you cannot make these mistakes (to concede three). You have to make sure we control the game."
3 News/AP
source: newshub archive
