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Manchester City warmed up for Thursday’s pivotal Premier League battle with Liverpool by coasting past 10-man Southampton 3-1 at St Mary’s.<\/p>\nManchester City warmed up for Thursday’s pivotal Premier League battle with Liverpool by coasting past 10-man Southampton 3-1 at St Mary’s.<\/p>\n
David Silva and Sergio Aguero struck for City, with James Ward-Prowse’s own goal also helping Pep Guardiola’s men get back to winning ways.<\/p>\n
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg fired a fine first-half goal for Saints, only to be sent off late on for a two-footed tackle.<\/p>\n
City hit back from defeats to Crystal Palace and Leicester with ease, reclaiming second place and cutting Liverpool’s Premier League lead to seven points.<\/p>\n
The travelling City fans chanted “We’ll fight to the end” in a warning to Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp to avoid any premature title expectations.<\/p>\n
And this comfortable south-coast victory now hands the reigning champions the chance to test Liverpool’s resolve when the league’s top two teams meet at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Hojbjerg’s rifled goal had City sweating when Saints equalized at 1-1, but straight after Ward-Prowse was rightly denied a penalty, the home winger put Raheem Sterling’s low cross through his own net.<\/p>\n
Aguero’s facile header had City 3-1 to the good, and that enticing title fight with Liverpool looked even more exciting come half-time.<\/p>\n
The fit-again Fernandinho solidified City’s shape, helping Guardiola’s men take the first step towards exorcising the memory of those costly consecutive defeats.<\/p>\n
The excellent Alex McCarthy denied David Silva at point-blank range from the off, after Sterling picked Jack Stephens’ pocket in the area.<\/p>\n
Charlie Austin spurned a gilt-edged chance with a heavy touch when clean through on goal after Mohamed Elyounoussi’s ball over the top.<\/p>\n
David Silva made no mistake with his second chance though, tapping home after his namesake Bernardo sneaked round the back and flicked a cross into the center.<\/p>\n
Riyad Mahrez fired wide after a fine field-length City move, then McCarthy produced another fine reaction stop, this time from Aguero.<\/p>\n
Austin drew a smart save from Ederson as Saints finally rallied – and then the hosts equalized.<\/p>\n
Hojbjerg mugged the sloppy Oleksandr Zinchenko before striding into the box and lashing a rising drive past the stunned Ederson.<\/p>\n
Zinchenko’s torrid afternoon continued unabated but the City full-back avoided conceding a penalty despite a clumsy challenge on the fast-advancing Ward-Prowse.<\/p>\n
The luck stayed with City as the visitors broke and in a flash Ward-Prowse had turned Sterling’s cross into his own net.<\/p>\n
City then glossed the half-time scoreline as Aguero escaped the struggling Jan Bednarek to nod home the visitors’ third.<\/p>\n
Sterling drew another close-range save from McCarthy as City resumed brightly, though this time the Saints keeper deflected the ball with his head.<\/p>\n
Aguero’s rasping shot on the turn struck the angle of post and bar, before Mahrez shot straight at the onrushing and alert McCarthy.<\/p>\n
Hojbjerg’s red card cut through a low-key last half-hour where City merely conserved energy, knowing full well the real battle awaits on Thursday night.<\/p>\n