City can console themselves with the thought that not many teams are going to find it easy against Southampton, but they need to improve, and quickly. They travel to Manchester United on Wednesday and West Brom on Saturday, then Barcelona turn up the following midweek.
Southampton, meanwhile, could do with backing their manager financially. Even at this early stage, it’s obvious that in the summer there’ll be interest in Redmond, Van Dijk and others. Just say no.
Anyway, thanks all for your company and comments - sorry I couldn’t use them all. Bye.
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FULL-TIME: MANCHESTER CITY 1-1 SOUTHAMPTON
What a good game that was. Southampton were organised, inventive and enterprising, while City were much improved in the second half. They go top, though haven’t won in five, while Southampton stay 8th.
90+5 min Bravo picks out Sterling and he runs hither and yon, looking for space, before Boufal clatters it clear. That’s pretty much it.
90+4 min Niall Quinn’s man-of-the-match is Romeu, a fair choice. Tadic was the best player on the pitch in the first half, and Iheanacho has been very good in the second, but Romeu, along with Van Dijk, are the two who’ve been consistent through the 90 minutes.
90+2 min Aguero wriggles and twists on the left by-line, and Van Dijk holds him up at the cost of a corner, then presses Iheanacho when it comes over, conceding another. This one is cleared as far as halfway, and when it’s switched to Silva, by that same left by-line, his balance gives out and he slips. Goalkick.
90+1 min City win a corner on the right, headed away and smelted over the bar from distance by Fernandinho. Again, Forster hangs onto the ball, and this time is booked.
90 min There shall be five added minutes.
89 min Everyone’s favourite player named after a district of Manhattan comes on, Nolito replacing Sane.
89 min Forster hangs onto the ball for as long as is possible without being booked, then boots it straight to Bravo. He’d have done better to send it out for a throw, as all this does is invite pressure. Quickly, City are inside the Southampton box, but a succession of desperate slides and lunges, some of which block, some of which tackle, and most of which do nothing, are enough to foil the various shooting opportunities. But too many of them, and eventually Southampton will concede a penalty.
88 min Southampton quite fancy their draw now, getting as many men behind the ball as they can to City’s intense frustration.
Updated
85 min Lovely break from Southampton, working the ball clear adroitly in their right corner, and sweeping crossfield thanks to a clever PASS from Ward-Prowse, drawing the challenge and moving possession on. Eventually, it ended up on the left wing, where Boufal stood up a cross that forced Kolarov to head behind. The corner came to nothing, but when Redmond loitered in front of the ball, Bravo shoved him in the back but without the subsequent set-to would all love to see no one wants to see.
84 min Boufal dawdles in centrefield and Sterling does very well to nip in, Gundogan then picking up the loose ball and feeding Aguero. From there, only one thing is ever happening, Aguero nashing through the middle lusting after a goal and dragging a cross-shot only just wide.
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83 min Final change for Southampton, Ward-Prowse replacing Austin - he’s run hard but played poorly.
82 min Sane has improved in the second half and he makes an important intervention to prevent McQueen’s crossfield pass finding Hojbjerg. Southampton have a throw, deep inside the City half, but can’t make anything of it.
80 min Iheanacho does very well to keep moving a bouncing ball on, bundling through two tackles in the process. Eventually, he’s stopped by McQueen, but this is the best I’ve ever seen him play - he’s looked a footballer as well as a finisher.
78 min Navas replaces Kompany, so that’s Fernandinho into the back three - perhaps.
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77 min This has been a really good game. Sterling again pulls away from McQueen, is fed immediately, and crosses flat to the near post where Ageuro can’t quite crane his neck sufficiently to divert it at goal.
Updated
75 min Redmond finds space in the box and looks to feed Davis, arriving on the edge. He shoots and it’s hectares wide, but that’s another warning.
74 min These last couple of minutes have been better from Southampton, and Boufal shrugs off Fernandinho moving from left to right across the box, Stones chugging along in front of him, then stretches to prod a pass for Austin, in space and with a sight of goal. He needs to pick a side, but instead just smacks it as hard as the situation allows - not really that hard at all - and Bravo saves easily enough. But that’s a warning for City.
72 min And Southampton break, a swarm of five or six charging forward. But Martina, in possession down the right, switches play and delivers the ball behind the various runners and the chance disappears.
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72 min First time ball from Gundogan to Silva, inside the box on its left, and he drills a shot sternum-high at the near post, which Forster beats away.
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70 min The change is made after all. Boufal, who is meant to be a tremendous talent, is on for Tadic.
69 min City are coming again, Gundogan and Iheanacho - he’s been superb since he came on -exchanging passes. This takes Gundogan into the box, and he digs out a shot looking for the Henry finish, but can’t get requisite power or angle. Then Silva finds Iheanacho down the left, who plays him back in, but there’s just too much on the ball.
68 min Perhaps Tadic is knackered - he’s certainly made a lot of sprints, and lengthy ones at that - but I’m surprised Puel is thinking to bring him off. The midfield change is entirely understandable.
66 min Aguero slides a pass down the line for sane, cut out by Martina, which allows Southampton to make two chances: Hojbjerg replaces Clasie, and Boufal replaces the superb Tadic. Except they don’t - Tadic is ushered back on the pitch, perhaps because Van Dijk isn’t moving freely.
64 min And they very nearly go behind when Sterling again takes possession down the right and a great run in behind by Iheanacho allows him to slide a diagonal ball towards the byline. Iheanacho then swivels to drills a cross to the near post, but it hits Silva and drips wide.
63 min City have been much better after the break, though they could scarcely have been worse. Southampton need to do something, or else they’re going to loe.
60 min Van Dijk hurts his face, so there’s a little break. Southampton probably needed that.
58 min This game is not going to finish 1-1. City are playing with intensity now, Ageuro charging around after Redmond who does brilliantly to escape down the left before finding Austin. But Ageuro won’t be denied, clattering him instead and earning another booke-ing.
57 min Southampton break for the first time in time, Tadic finding Van Dijk just left of the centre-circle. Whereupon Vincent Kompany absolutely leathers him, earning a yellow card.
57 min That was coming. City haven’t exactly peppered the goal, or even created any chances, but Southampton have barely had a kick these last seven or eight minutes.
GOAL! Manchester City 1-1 Southampton (Iheanacho, 55)
He’s got the knack! A wonderful ball from Fernandinho, flat and forty yards, from out on the right touchline to inside the box on the other side, finds Sane. He shows exceptional composure to realise he can’t shoot, wait, and snap a low cross to the near post, where Iheanacho wants it more than anyone else, contorting his body to flick hard past Forster.
Updated
54 min Much better from City, Sterling pulling away from McQueen and measuring a low cross that’s between keeper and back four. Silva and Aguero both strain to attack it, but the pace defeats both, just.
53 min Revenge is served steaming, Romeu tanking into a challenge with Gundogan and flattening him but in a non-snide way. He’s booked.
52 min We’re shown a replay of Gundogan jumping onto Romeu’s ankle, directly in Clattenburg’s phizog. For reasons known best to himself, he does nothing, when he might have flourished a red card; a yellow at least.
51 min Silva to Aguero to Sterling, and some space ... but Sterling’s cross is very well blocked by McQueen, who has been exemplary so far.
50 min Austin loses control of the ball and Kolarov bumps into him, for which he is harshly booked.
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49 min Romeu, who’s been very solid, overhits a ball for Davis and Sane interjects, nipping it away and immediately making the opportunity for a shot. But he decides he can force a better angle, instead running away from goal and out of space.
48 min Another Southampton break led by Tadic, who snaps a low square ball to Davis, on the edge of the box. Whereupon he dithers, allowing Fernandinho to rob him from behind.
47 min A little flash of Sterling, feeding a ball for Iheanacho to run onto, who then tried a clever pass to the near post - but Forster arrived at it first.
47 min Iheanacho is on the 30-strong shortlist for African player of the year. I wonder how he’ll do in this situation, though - he’s an excellent finisher, and more than that, has the knack, but City’s problem so far has been the bit before that.
46 min Beginagain.
Change for City: Iheanacho replaces De Bruyne, who has a knock. I’ve no idea how Guardiola will configure things now, perhaps a 3-1-4-2?
0 - For the first time in 15 games under Pep Guardiola, Manchester City failed to register a shot in target in the first half. Halted. pic.twitter.com/ZFL555UjTJ
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 23, 2016
Half-time entertainment of no relevance to football whatsoever, but of every relevance to those availed of ears:
Half-time: Manchester City 0-1 Southampton
City have prompted plenty, but the’ve been reliant on Silva for penetration. Without full-backs to help, their wingers are isolated, so Southampton have been able to outnumber them in both wide and central areas. And, on the break, they’ve been a constant threat, Tadic and Redmond sprinting, moving and interchanging with purpose, imagination and conviction. Guardiola needs to have a think.
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45+1 min Niall Quinn says he can’t remember the ground ever being as quiet as this, saying that it’s “eerie”. And though I’m not sure about this, the gist is unarguable: as they were at West Ham a few weeks ago, Southampton have been perfect.
45 min There shall be two additional minutes; a minimum of.
45 min Clasie stretches in pursuit of the ball as Fernandinho comes back at a perpendicular angle. Clasie wins the race, but follows through into Fernandinho’s ankle, for which he is booked.
43 min A quiet period, so here’s JR: “I would think John Stones holds the all-time record for people saying ‘He’s going to be a great player’ about him every time he makes an epic blunder. At what point does he become a player who is just considered prone to making epic blunders?
I feel like we’re approaching the point where people should start referring to crap back passes that lead directly to goals as ‘a Stones’.”
He’s got a way to go before he supersedes Rio Ferdinand, who, er, was a great player. My worry for Stones is that Ferdinand was a monstrous physical presence who could dominate and in the air and beat almost anyone for pace, and the greater he became, the less clever football he played. On the other hand, I’d not worry too much about the silly errors at this point, though of course it’d be better if he stopped making them.
41 min City are huffing and puffing, but Southampton are boxing them off all over the show. They finally get the ball into Aguero, 20 yards out and central, for him to deliver one of those patented from behind the bum shots, but it whistles wide.
39 min “I am reintroducing myself to British life after some time away,” emails Poorian Copestake, “and wonder if your other English-speaking reader can advise me whether six toasts is sufficient.”
Is this to the Queen, or for breakfast?
38 min “The problem with City is they always try to walk it in,” emails Mike Phott. “Why don’t they just shoot? Aguero earlier now De Bruyne should have shot not trying to do something more clever...”
Hmmm. I’d say City are struggling to break down a confident, well-drilled side - that’s understandable and almost expected. On the other hand, their defence looks a real problem.
36 min De Bruyne loses the ball on the right and Tadic feeds Redmond ahead of him. The attack comes to nothing, but Southampton’s decisiveness on the break, and, in particular, Redmond’s roving, is causing City all sorts. It’s far too dynamic for a back-three, especially this back-three, in mine.
35 min Things appear to have livened up.
34 min Yep, Aguero was offside from the initial free-kick - great decision and splendid swingers from the officials.
GOAL DISALLOWED! AGUERO WAS OFFSIDE!
We think. There was surprisingly little commotion, given how everyone went about their business as though the goal had been scored and awarded for quite some time.
Updated
GOAL! Manchester City 1-1 Southampton (Stones, 32)
De Bruyne swings the ball out, Aguero misses his header in the middle and then at the back post, a highly relieved Stones sidefoots in!
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31 min Silva allows the ball across his body in that gracefully brilliant way, and McQueen clatters him. Free-kick, 30 yards out, close to the right corner of the box.
31 min 27 min “The words ‘sedate’ and ‘sedan’ are indeed related,” emails Kári Tulinius, “but cousins rather than parent and progeny. Both ultimately derive from the latin verb “sedeō”, which means: ‘to put on a compact disk’ (actually it means ‘to sit’).”
Excellent.
29 min Well, what about that? The difference, so far, is that between a team absolutely certain about what it’s doing and one finding it’s way.
GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 0-1 SOUTHAMPTON (REDMOND, 27)
What an almighty mess this is! City knock is across the back four like 1980s Liverpool but Southampton press like 2016 Southampton and eventually Stones plays a blind ball for Kompany who’s stepped up at the wrong second, accordingly playing in the hyperactive Redmond. There’s still plenty to do though, which he does with minimum fuss and maximum prejudice, rounding Bravo to screw an expert’s finish high into the net. Consider the cat pigeoned.
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26 min Tadic is looking lively as, and he wins a corner off Stones when no such thing looked likely. It comes to now, headed clear by Kolarov at the front post.
24 min A lovely low, long pass from Kolarov finds De Bruyne, just outside the box, and though Van Dijk is blocking the route to Aguero, suare to his right, he tries to find him anyway rather than go on the outside. The attack breaks down, but seconds later, Sane isolates McQueen for the first time, who stands up well and sees him behind.
22 min Southampton are pressing a little harder now. But City attack with Silva through the middle and he finds Sterling on the left of the box - we’ve hardly seen him so far. He attempts a return chop but can only find Fonte, and Southampton break again. Eventually, Tadic takes the ball away from goal on the left, in order to swivel and slide a reverse pass into the stride of Redmond. He’s broken the line, but the linesman incorrectly signals offside.
21 min “I wish Kompany was not playing,” emails Ian Copestake. “As the most liked person in football I could not bare to see him trudge off again with a curtailed future not realising his dreams etched on his face. He is like a walking version of I, Daniel Blake.”
In several languages.
20 min Southampton break again and Clasie clips one over the top and left-to-right for Redmond, who pulls it down and larrups over the top.
18 min De Bruyne goes down the right and crosses low, Aguero reaching the ball first and taking a touch away from Van Dijk before falling over, anticipating the challenge. But the challenge never arrives - that’s excellent defending - and though there are muted appeals, Mark Clatteburg points for a goalkick. But not as beautifully as Mike Dean.
First class goal kick signal from Dean. #CelebRefs pic.twitter.com/WabU26sZtR
— Celeb Refs (@CelebRefs) October 17, 2016
17 min Southampton are denying City space, sitting off them and sitting deep. On the one hand, it’s allowing them to be dictated to - on the other, it’s giving them space into which they can break. And that’s exactly what they do when Tadic wins possession, the low cross he produces at the end of it well-taken by the diving Bravo.
15 min Mootch be’oh from Citeh, Gundogan snapping a short, seemingly nondescript but actually very clever ball into Fernandinho’s path, right of centre and ushering him around the outside. Not much happened thereafter, but the home side are beginning to hum.
14 min Silva intercepts a poor ball from Clasie insdie the centre-circle and immediately releases De Bruyne on the left. He sees Sane making a run across the face of goal so tries a low cross, only for Van Dijk to stab behind for a corner which comes to nowt.
Updated
12 min Or, put another way, this is as sedate as a sedan. Did one beget the other?
11 min Lovely ball in from Tadic on the left, torso-high and arcing across the face of goal. Feeling the bristle of Redmond’s beard on the back of his neck, Kolarov deftly chested back to Bravo, who dribbled out and around 539 Southampton players before volleying home the opener with his right clavicle.
10 min Southampton win a free-kick down the right, swung out by Davis and clunked away by Sane on the edge of the box. The visitors regain possession and patiently send it back to Forster.
8 min Earlier this week, Claude Puel compared Nathan Redmond to Thierry Henry, a player he helped develop at Monaco. He reckons Redmond will end up playing through the middle, and tangentially, though it’s fashionable to moan about the lack of talented English players, I’m not at all certain it’s the case. A decent, enterprising manager, and there’s an eleven good enough to cause any team problems.
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7 min This has been a quiet start, City pushing the pace but Southampton standing strong. I think we’ll be enjoying a fair few fouls in centerfield.
6 min “Sky’s yet to be broadcast interview with Jamie Carragher,” emails Is Murray unkindly. You can probably see where this is going, but to avoid any accusations of subtlety, he proceeds: “How many languages do you speak? ‘Fluently, none.’”
Burrrrrrnnnnnn.
4 min A flash of Aguero, racing onto Daivd Silva’s headed flick-on! before twisting inside and out and chipping a cross too close to Forster.
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3 min “As a big supporter of Argentina, I am continually surprised how, with all the flack Messi received practically carrying the team on his back to within inches of the cup, Aguero who was completely invisible and contributed nothing,” emails Odysseus Yacalis. “Escaped all criticism... Pep knows what’s up... He has talent, obviously, but leaving him on the bench is far from a sin...”
Hmmm - Guardiola can only really judge him based on what he sees at City. I can see why he left him out - against Barcelona, you need numbers in midfield. As an outsider, I just thought he was putting a nose out of joint trying to win a game he was always going to lose. But he can’t proceed on that basis.
1 min Off we go!
Southampton are huddling. Not sure there’s any coming back from that.
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“Is it wrong to hope the arrogant Pep way will fail?” asks Ezra Finklestein. “I know Joe Hart feels the same way...”
I don’t know if Guardiola’s way is necessarily arrogant. He’s good at what he does and knows it, so he backs himself. Seems to have worked well so far. But no, it’s not wrong - we can all hope as we please.
The ball is deplinthed! I can literally taste the importance.
The players are tunnelled. Vincent Kompany is issuing John Stones with a few orders, then he claps he hands and off they go.
Dave WATSON: Manchester City [1975-79] & Southampton [1979-82] #MCISOU #MCFC #saintsfc #played4both pic.twitter.com/O2rRp1E0tw
— The Rothmans Years (@RothmansYears) October 23, 2016
That City top is almost indigo. That jaw is eternal.
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Peter REID: Manchester City [1990-93] & Southampton [1993-94] #MCISOU #MCFC #saintsfc #played4both pic.twitter.com/bynwKErjJq
— The Rothmans Years (@RothmansYears) October 23, 2016
I remember reading an interview with Peter Reid after the 1986 World Cup. He said that he’d had grey highlights done in Mexico, before allowing it to return to its natural colour - “jet black”.
In the studio, Souness and Henry would’ve picked Aguero in the Nou Camp. Carragher reckons City had to try something different, given the opponent.
Guardiola is happy to have Kompany back and says it was an easy decision to reinstate Sergio Aguero, but stipulates that maybe he’ll be left out again - “I’m here to take decisions.”
He thinks his team played really well against Everton, and against Barcelona when it was 11 v 11. They won’t win or lose the title today.
Sky are showing an interview with Ilkay Gundogan, who seems a remarkably nice man. His heroes are his parents and he has a lovely manner and smile.
How many languages do you speak? “Fluently, three.”
Best goal? “I don’t score many goals, not even nice goals, to be fair.”
Best friend in football? “Shinji Kagawa. Although he played for our rival, he’s a very nice friend.”
He can’t pick a best manager from Klopp, Tuchel and Guardiola.
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1 - Vincent Kompany will start his first Premier League game for Manchester City since April 2016 (v Newcastle). Return.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 23, 2016
He said he’s trained hard, but he’s got to be slightly feart of how his body will hold up. And I also wonder if there’s any trepidation as regards his role today.
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Sam McQueen has earned his first league start following an excellent midweek effort at San Siro and Puel is looking forward to seeing what he’s got. He feels Southampton ought to have beaten Inter and hopes his team has recovered well after just two days’ rest. He is not asked any interesting question about how to combat City’s XI, or how he wants his to play.
Looking again at the City side, Gundogan, Silva and De Bruyne in the middle of the pitch is a lot for Davis, Romeu and Clasie to cope with. Do they get in among them or sit off? And how will they fare when the ball goes wide to Sterling and Sane? Martina and McQueen will have plenty to do.
On the other hand, if Southampton can get at that back three, it’s hard to fathom a way they don’t score. Kolarov will be hoping to switch play a lot more than he’ll be hoping to defence; Kompany will not want much possession; Stones would rather one of his mates dealt with Austin.
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“He’s bringing calmness in the club ... on the pitch he likes to be close to the group. He’s very vocal ... very clever” says Virgil van Dyk of his manager.
And then, for balance, enjoy Jacob Steinberg on Pep Guardiola.
So, how is Claude Puel doing it? To find out, read this excellent piece from Paul Doyle.
That City team, then. Well, there’ll be three at the back, one of them Vincent Kompany, and there’ll also be a dizzying array of attacking talent. That aside, we’re guessing.
Southampton, on the other hand, are entirely as expected.
Lads and ladettes
Manchester City (an incomprehensible 3-2-4-1): Bravo; Stones, Kompany, Kolarov; Fernandinho, Gundogan; Sane, Silva, De Bruyne, Sterling; Aguero.
Subs: Fernando, Nolito, Caballero, Jesus Navas, Clichy, Otamendi, Iheanacho.
Southampton (a cohesive 4-3-3): Forster; Martina, Fonte, van Dijk, McQueen;
Clasie, Romeu, Davis; Tadic, Redmond, Austin.
Subs: Yoshida, Rodriguez, McCarthy, Ward-Prowse, Boufal, Hojbjerg, Stephens.
Hunk: Mark Clattenburg (Tyne & Weary)
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Preamble
As anyone with any experience of being a human can confirm, it’s not at all easy to know what’s going on. Are we etched in stone or just sketched in the sand? It is ice lolly or lolly ice? Are we living or dying?
Alternatively, consider Manchester City. Third in the table, a point off the top, with a game in hand; rinsers of Manchester United; midweek threateners of Barcelona, the best side in the world; home to Kevin de Bruyne, David Silva, Ilkay Gundogan and Sergio Aguero; employers of Pep Guardiola, generally regarded as a footballing visionary and the finest coach in the world.
Sounds simple? Well, consider Manchester City as singed at Celtic and terrorised at Tottenham as part of being generally found out, who were marmalised in midweek, whose goalkeeper is already an hilarious joke, whose novice manager is ill-prepared for a league where opponents try hard, whose team is yet to win a game in the month of October.
What an unfathomable state of affairs! It’s just so confusing! Well, you know what they say: class is temporary but form is permanent.
Southampton, on the other hand, are a simpler case: they’re a really good side, playing really well. They’re balanced, solid, consistent, and know what they’re doing; they’re also in fine form. Roughly, we’re in for a treat.
Kick-off: 1.30pm BST
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