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Leaders Manchester City recorded a thumping 5-2 win over struggling Southampton in the 2020-21 Premier League to go a whopping 14 points clear at the top.
The hosts scored thrice in the first half and had a two-goal cushion heading into the break. Manchester City then scored twice in the second half to put the result beyond doubt; the visitors bagged a late consolation goal after drawing parity at 1-1.
Riyad Mahrez and Kevin De Bruyne scored twice, while Ilkay Gundogan got on the scoresheet again as a rampant Manchester City scored five against a hapless Southampton. James Ward-Prowse and Che Adams scored for the visitors in either half.
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Manchester City did not look comfortable in the game from the get-go as they were dominated in the early proceedings. In the 15th minute, Ruben Dias launched the ball wonderfully into the final third. He found Zinchenko on the flanks, whose cut-in was met by Phil Foden, but he was denied by McCarthy's brilliant save. Kevin De Bruyne was, however, at the right place to find the back of the net from the rebound.
Ten minutes later, Southampton were awarded a penalty following a corner, with the ever-reliable Ward-Prowse converting to level proceedings. Both goalkeepers were fairly busy in the first half and had to make some smart saves.
Manchester City, however, found their groove as the game progressed, scoring twice in the final eight minutes of the first half, with Riyad Mahrez in the thick of the things for both goals.
He elegantly scored the first one from the edge of the box after he was gifted possession by Che Adams. He would've scored Manchester City's third one, too, only to find his shot come back off the post and Ilkay Gundogan scoring on the rebound.
After the restart, Manchester City came out with renewed vigour and added two goals in 14 minutes, with De Bruyne and Mahrez scoring their second of the game. The Saints got one back, with Che Adams capitalising on a rare defensive error by the hosts, but it was too little too late on the night.
With Manchester City returning to winning ways after a defeat in the Manchester derby last weekend, let's take a look at five talking points from the game.
#5 Manchester City concede from the penalty spot again
Manchester City did well to keep Southampton at bay despite their high press and attacks, not allowing the visitors to score from open play till the 56th minute. It was unfortunate that despite making a couple of brilliant saves before the break, Ederson conceded a goal from the penalty spot.
The hosts have made a habit of giving away fouls cheaply this term; it was the eighth penalty they conceded in the ongoing campaign. Manchester City have conceded six times from the penalty spot at home, making them only the third side to do so in the competition's history.
The Cityzens have the best defensive record in the league, but of the 21 goals they have shipped in, six have been penalties. If they can work on this issue, they could get even better going forward.
#4 Riyad Mahrez continues to impress
Riyad Mahrez has been in good touch in recent games and has rewarded Pep Guardiola's faith in him with goals and assists aplenty. Against Southampton, Mahrez was unplayable at times, displaying his quick feet and silky skills in the final third.
His first goal was a beauty, curling from the edge of the box with his preferred left foot. Mahrez almost added a second in injury-time but hit the woodwork off his weaker foot. The Algerian, nevertheless, got his second of the game in the second half, courtesy of another deft finish.
After being a fringe player for long, Riyad Mahrez is beginning to flourish with enough game-time. With Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling misfiring at the moment, Mahrez has provided the spark in the final third for Manchester City, who could win a continental quadruple this campaign.
Also, Read: 10 players with the most fans in the world.
#3 Manchester City flex their attacking muscle
Manchester City are the leading goal-scorers in the 2020-21 Premier League. With their five goals against Southampton, they have now scored 61 league goals this season, with only Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain scoring more across Europe's top-five leagues.
Against Southampton, Manchester City initially struggled to find spaces in the final third. But as the game progressed, they seemed to pick out their attackers at will. As has been seen umpteen times this season, the Cityzens produced attacking moves out of nowhere, thanks to their pace on the counter-attack and precise passing.
This was the 19th game Manchester City scored at least three goals; if they can do so without Aguero, Sterling and Jesus, that says a lot about their attacking prowess.
#2 Southampton's poor form in 2021 continues
Southampton have struggled for form this year. They have the worst record of any Premier League team this year, with more losses and the fewest goals of any team in 12 league games.
The Saints have picked up just seven points out of 36 while losing nine. Of their two wins, one came against bottom-placed Sheffield United.
Ralph Hasenhüttl's side were in the upper half of the table for the better part of the first half of the season. But a string of disappointing performances has seen them drop out of the top 10, with this loss leaving them in 14th place in the league table.
Their drop in form has been disconcerting, as there have been no injury concerns. Nevertheless, to return to winning ways, Southampton will need to improve both their defence and attack.
#1 Manchester City need six more wins to seal the league title
Their emphatic win at the Etihad Stadium leaves Manchester City 14 points clear at the top, having played a game more than second-placed Manchester United.
Mathematically, if they can secure six wins from their remaining nine games, other results won't matter, as they would secure enough points to be crowned the champions.
The only big team that they face in their remaining fixtures is Chelsea in May. If things go well for the hosts, they will likely have earned enough points to become the champions by then.
The derby defeat to United last weekend was indeed a bump in the road, as the Manchester City juggernaut are well on their way to clinch a third Premier League title in four seasons.
Also Read: 5 most supported football clubs in the world.
