Manchester City could momentarily go top of the Premier League table with a win over a struggling Southampton at the Etihad.
Manchester City are rightly regarded as title favourites despite sitting behind league leaders Arsenal. Pep Guardiola’s men must keep up their momentum when they host Southampton at the Etihad. Their record against the Saints last season was not very good, managing draws on both ocassions.
Manchester City were in relentless form last weekend, dispatching local rivals Manchester United 6-3 at the Etihad. In doing so, Guardiola witnessed Phil Foden and Erling Haaland a hat-trick each. They have since taken that prolific form into Europe, dispatching FC Copenhagen 5-0 at the Etihad.
Haaland was on the scoresheet, scoring a brace before half-time as he took his tally to 19 goals across all competitions. The important thing for Manchester City is to maintain their momentum and get three points to top the table on Saturday. Their position could again change on Sunday if Arsenal can beat Liverpool.
Their opponents for the weekend are a struggling Southampton side. Their manager, Ralph Hasenhuttl, is under tremendous pressure ahead of this fixture, with his side languishing in the 16th position. The Saints suffered their third successive defeat last weekend to Everton, relaying questions regarding the Austrian’s future.
"An important fixture" 💪💬#ManCity | @okx pic.twitter.com/fBF0N4CJU8
— Manchester City (@ManCity) October 7, 2022
Summer arrival Joe Aribo gave Southampton the lead, but Conor Coady and Dwight McNeil’s goals pinned them behind in the game. Despite Southampton playing well overall, as their 22 shots showed, they have lacked the edge in games like these.
Arriving at the Etihad, where the Saints have not won since 2004, it is a seemingly difficult prospect for Hasenhuttl at this time of trouble. Moreover, Southampton have conceded a goal in each of their last 18 away games, a record the manager would love to change on Saturday.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester City
The news around the injury front is mixed for Pep Guardiola to contend with. Kyle Walker underwent groin surgery, which will keep him out for the next months. The Englishman is in real danger of missing the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Meanwhile, the Manchester City manager will be glad to welcome Rodri back into the fold after the Spaniard missed the Manchester Derby last week.
Back to work! 💪 pic.twitter.com/0HItGOfnmu
— Manchester City (@ManCity) October 6, 2022
Kalvin Philipps and John Stones are the other absentees, although Guardiola has sufficient cover in the squad to paper over their absences. Rodri’s return could allow the Manchester City manager to play a more fluid lineup against Southampton, which puts Ilkay Gundogan’s place at risk.
Guardiola could place Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva in midfield at the expense of the German. Jack Grealish could continue in the front three. Erling Haaland is the obvious choice to lead the line, with Phil Foden, who was rested earlier this week, also starting in the attack.
Ruben Dias could return to the starting eleven, and Manuel Akanji could drop out. The Portuguese defender will likely have Nathan Ake as his partner. Walker’s absence could allow Sergio Gomez an extended run in the side at left-back, with Joao Cancelo moving to the right flank.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Ederson; Cancelo, Dias, Ake, Gomez; De Bruyne, Rodri, Silva; Foden, Haaland, Grealish
Southampton
Ralph Hasenhuttl will have to make do without Romeo Lavia and Tino Livramento for this clash, as the duo remains out with injuries. The latter is out for the long term with an ACL problem, while the former is suffering from a muscular issue.
🎶 Prowsey and Joe Aribo 🎶 pic.twitter.com/7UK9beYFuz
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) October 6, 2022
The Southampton manager could yet make several changes to the team. He could bring in Mohammed Salisu, Romain Perraud and Adam Armstrong back into the side for the Manchester City trip. Juan Larios and Sam Edozie are also pushing for starts against their former club, while Gavin Bazunu will certainly start between the posts for the Saints.
Hasenhuttl could keep his midfield paring of Ainsley Maitland-Niles and captain James Ward-Prowse intact. He could decide on including Duje Caleta-Car in central defence, but he has options even without last weekend’s debutant.
Adam Armstrong will likely lead the line for Southampton and will have an attacking setup comprising Mohamed Elyounoussi, Joe Aribo and Stuart Armstrong behind him.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Bazunu; Walker-Peters, Bella-Kotchap, Salisu, Perraud; Ward-Prowse, Maitland-Niles; Elyounoussi, Aribo, Stuart Armstrong; Adam Armstrong
Key Stats
- Manchester City have won 29 of their last 36 matches in the Premier League.
- Manchester City have scored at least 3 goals in their last 8 home matches in the Premier League.
- Manchester City are undefeated in their last 13 home matches against Southampton in all competitions.
- Southampton have lost by a 1 goal margin in their last 3 matches in the Premier League.
- Southampton have lost 5 of their last 6 away matches in the Premier League.
Player to Watch
Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland probably trumps any other player who is talked about so much on current form. The Norwegian striker has caught the attention with his goalscoring prowess, and there seems to be no way of stopping him from achieving greatness.
Last weekend, Haaland scored his third successive home hat-trick to take his Premier League tally to 15 goals, which is unbelievable considering he has only played eight games so far. Haaland will likely become the focus once more as he aims to increase his numbers against Southampton.
Prediction
Manchester City 3-1 Southampton
Predicting a 3-1 scoreline favouring Manchester City may come back to bite here. Pep Guardiola’s men are likely to score more than three goals. Having Erling Haaland and an in-form Phil Foden in the team could certainly guarantee more strikes, and Southampton’s defence is not the most staunch on current form.
Here we expect Manchester City to brush Southampton aside easily. There could be plenty of goals on show at the Etihad. The Saints could yet score an odd goal in the process. But Pep Guardiola’s men are expected to finish Saturday at the summit of the Premier League.
