Manchester City ran away with a 3-0 win against Southampton on Saturday afternoon at St. Mary’s Stadium. It was a fantastic performance from City, who dominated the match in the first half and got the goals in the second half, including a great header from captain Vincent Kompany, who return to the team with a splendid game and led the side to a major victory.
Let's dive deeper into City's win on Saturday.
Defense
Although City have held their fair share of criticism for their defensive efforts this year, the Sky Blues earned the clean sheet on the day with ease. Vincent Kompany and Nicolas Otamendi both put in solid performances, and the he skipper even contributed on the offensive side, scoring his first goal in almost two years.
Jesús Navas and Gaël Clichy both played well from the full-back positions. Although their contributions were small in regards to statistics, their presence was easily felt on the pitch as Southampton struggled to both attack and contain them.
Midfield
Pep Guardiola lined up a 4-2-3-1 for this match, with Fernandinho and Yaya Touré playing as holding midfielders and working superbly well together. When Fernandinho is able to alleviate pressure in the middle of the pitch, Yaya can push up and play the ball out wide or up the middle with his wonderful passing ability.
However, the main focus was on the attacking midfield on Saturday. David Silva had three shots during the game and also assisted Kompany’s header with a beautiful cross from a corner kick.
Leroy Sané played well on the left side, and his pace and skill on the ball threw off Southampton’s talented right-back Cédric Soares. Sané also scored after being on the receiving end of Kevin De Bruyne’s first assist.
Speaking of the Belgian midfielder, De Bruyne gifted City with one of his best performances of the season, leading the team with two assists. Kevin also shined with his amazing distribution, delivering four key passes and capping off a really good afternoon's work.
Attack
Although Sergio Agüero did find a late goal in the 80th minute, this game was not one of his best. His goal was his only effort on target during the match out of his six total shots, and he was dispossessed seven times while only completing one dribble.
Nonetheless, his goal sent the dagger into Southampton’s heart, and City are now back on good form leading up to the FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal.