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Manchester City secured a much-needed win to maintain their Premier League title problem alive as Raheem Sterling’s aim earned a hard-fought 1-Zero victory at fourth-placed Southampton on Saturday. City slipped to 11 factors behind leaders Liverpool previous to kick-off, albeit with two video games in hand on the champions, and as soon as once more needed to depend on a stable defensive show to edge as much as fifth within the desk because of a seventh clear sheet in eight video games. Pep Guardiola’s males had been once more responsible of not being ruthless sufficient in entrance of aim with the few probabilities they did create, however one second of high quality that noticed Kevin De Bruyne tee up Sterling separated the perimeters.
Southampton had misplaced simply as soon as of their earlier 10 league video games to begin the day 4 factors and 6 locations forward of their illustrious guests.
But the lack of prime scorer Danny Ings on prime of the defeat dealt a blow to their quest to qualify for Europe.
In a vivid City begin, Joao Cancelo pressured Alex McCarthy right into a flying save and Rodri noticed an effort dominated out for offside earlier than the one aim arrived on 16 munites.
Southampton’s daring method to press excessive backfired because it afforded City the possibility to counter-attack that only a few sides provide Guardiola’s males.
Bernardo Silva fed De Bruyne down the precise and his inch-perfect cross was swept dwelling by Sterling for his seventh aim of the season.
Southampton, although, reacted nicely to falling behind as Theo Walcott pressured Ederson into his first save of the day.
Jannik Vestergaard’s risk from set-pieces has been a giant half in Southampton’s success this season and twice the large Dane will really feel he ought to have achieved higher as his first weak header was simply claimed by Ederson earlier than his second extra highly effective try flew over the bar.
Ruben Dias’s personal aim value City two surprising dropped factors in a 1-1 draw with West Brom on Tuesday and the Portuguese centre-back narrowly escaped one other aim on the mistaken finish after Che Adams simply failed to attach with a harmful cross from Kyle Walker-Peters.
The dwelling aspect suffered a serious blow simply earlier than the break when Ings had to get replaced with a muscle damage.
City soaked up loads of strain from the Saints within the second half, however once more lacked the killer intuition up entrance to kill the sport off.
Ferran Torres flashed an effort throughout aim earlier than Silva ought to have supplied the end Sterling did to a different good De Bruyne cross.
De Bruyne was additionally responsible of not taking a giant probability on the counter-attack when he fired too near McCarthy and the Southampton ‘keeper than made an unimaginable save excessive to his proper to disclaim Ilkay Gundogan.
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Cheered on by 2,000 followers in one of many few Premier League venues allowed to host supporters, resulting from stricter coronavirus restrictions in different components of England, the house aspect pushed till the tip.
But City all the time appeared the extra more likely to rating if there was to be a second aim and Riyad Mahrez left Guardiola along with his head in his arms after blazing over a wonderful alternative in stoppage time.
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