Manchester City will be looking to close the gap on high-flying Southampton when the two sides clash at St. Mary’s on Saturday.
Saints currently sit third in the Premier League table – four points ahead of ninth-place Man City. However, Pep Guardiola’s side do have a game in hand.
It doesn't matter how they go in, they all count! 😅Warming up for Saturday by reliving #SaintsFC's 3-1 win over #ManCity back in 2️⃣0️⃣1️⃣3️⃣: pic.twitter.com/cl3rlWYR4A— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) December 17, 2020
It doesn't matter how they go in, they all count! 😅Warming up for Saturday by reliving #SaintsFC's 3-1 win over #ManCity back in 2️⃣0️⃣1️⃣3️⃣: pic.twitter.com/cl3rlWYR4A
Southampton were denied three straight victories on Wednesday, as ten-man Arsenal snatched at point at the Emirates.
Theo Walcott scored against his old club to give Saints the lead, before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ended his goal drought to secure a 1-0 draw for the Gunners.
Despite seeing 65% possession and recording 13 shots, Southampton were unable to find a winner, even after Gabriel’s 62nd-minute red card.
Still, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men are in a seriously strong position. They have only lost three of their 13 league games this term and are among the early European chasers.
In fact, Saints are only one point behind second-place Tottenham and four points shy off leaders Liverpool.
On the other hand, it’s fair to Manchester City have made an indifferent start to the 2020/21 Premier League season.
Five wins, five draws and two defeats see Guardiola’s side languhsing in mid-table – eight points off the top.
The Cityzens have been held to back-to-back draws with the last seven days, first by Manchester United and most recently by West Brom.
Guardiola’s men racked up a whopping 78% possession and 26 shots against the Baggies on Tuesday, yet a Ruben Dias own goal saw the game end all square.
Man City may boast the joint-best defensive record in the division, but it is no secret that they must start scoring more goals in order to move up the table.
Head-to-head: Southampton claimed all three points the last time these two sides met, winning 1-0 at home in July.
However, Man City had won the seven meetings between the teams prior to that – scoring 20 goals along the way.
Team news: Sam McQueen is the only injury concern for Southampton at the moment. Hasenhuttl has consistently fielded a settled side in recent weeks.
Eric Garcia and Oleksandr Zinchenko are currently injured for Man City, although Sergio Aguero is close to returning to full fitness.
This is destined to be a high-scoring encounter with multiple goalscoring opportunities for both sides. Still, Southampton’s form is difficult to ignore.
Forebet predicts that this match will produce over 4.5 total goals. However, Saints are expected to edge Man City on this occasion.