City 1 Southampton 1
October 23rd 2016 53,731
So City fail to win for the fifth game on the trot! After the mauling we got in Barcelona I expected City would go all out for three points. Having given Southampton a gift of a goal in the first half - via yet another Stones error we improved in the second half but only had thee shots on target all game! We had to thank Iheanacho for the equalizer 10 minutes after he came on for the injured De Bruyne at half time. He has now scored 11 goals from 17 shots on target in the Premiership.
We started with just three at the back welcoming the return of Vincent Kompany who almost lasted the whole game! I got the feeling we rarely got the better of 50-50 situations and many City passes went astray. It's not often that City left the field at half time to booing but that first half was poor from a City point of view with a distinct lack of creativity and movement in the final third. Whether the fact that the visitors won the toss and chose to attack the South Stand in the first half made any difference I doubt but too many City players had average games.
Injures to Zabaleta and Sagna meant that City played three at the back including Kompany. Aguero led the line.
The early kick-off no doubt reduced the number of visiting fans
An early run by Aguero led to a Silva cross which was easily taken by Forster
a low header by Kolarov back to Bravo
Sane always looked dangerous down the right wing
On 14 minutes a shot by Fernandinho goes just wide of the far post
Classie shoots well over the bar
Redmond shoots but is offside
On 27 minutes disaster struck. Stones tried a suicidal back pass to Bravo and Redmond said thank you very much and scored to give the visitors the lead.
A few minutes later Stones seemed to atone for his error when he scored following a free kick .....
...the celebrations went ahead but suddenly the goal was disallowed and a free kick given - well it is Clattenburg refereeing!
another Southampton break but City defenders got back in time to thwart Redmond
On 40 minutes a Aguero effort goes wide
Classie gets a yellow for a foul on Fernandinho
The robots in action at half time
A Sterling effort goes wide just before the break
Kompany heads wide at a corner
Iheanacho just fails to connect
However moments later he does connect from a cross by Sane to beat the keeper
The South Stand erupt and Sane is first to congratulate the scorer and City are level
first it's Kompany who gets a yellow and shortly after Aguero gets a caution
City continue to pile on the pressure but fail to test the keeper
On 69 minutes Gundogan has an effort well saved by the keeper
a few minutes later and it's Silva's turn to have a shot saved
Charlie Austin has a shot saved by Bravo
Aguero has a header going wide and then a shot goes wide too - not his day!
It's a battle to get through the bodies !
City just cannot break down the Southampton defence and not even the efforts of Pep can help
team
Bravo 7: Stones 5, Kompany 7 ( Navas) , Kolarov 6.5: Fernandinho 6.5, Gundogan 6.5: Sterling 6, Silva 6.5, De Bruyne 6 ( Iheanacho 8) Sane 7 ( Nolito) , Aguero 6.5
