Manchester City got back on track following their first defeat of 2021 with a highly entertaining win over Southampton that was rife with controversy.
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City opened the scoring early through Kevin De Bruyne, before the Saints were awarded a rather soft penalty for a foul by Aymeric Laporte to equalize. City were subsequently denied what appeared to be a clear penalty of their own when Alex McCarthy lost the ball in his own area and took out Phil Foden with a slide tackle.
City refused to be held down, however, grabbing three more with venom before exchanging another goal each with the visitors. Riyad Mahrez and Kevin De Bruyne were on incredible form, grabbing a brace each as City got a much-needed result to get back on track after their Derby defeat in their last match. Even beyond the actual goals, City created constant chances on McCarthy’s goal and easily could have scored more. Southampton presented a real challenge, but City’s superior quality was able to shine through despite some challenging circumstances.
This was an extremely encouraging fight from City, especially in attack. Despite a difficult result last time out and decisions going against them early in this match, the Blues responded with a fire that earned them a well-deserved three points.
In the end, it was a fantastic spectacle of attacking football, with some brilliant displays in a high-scoring affair at the Etihad Stadium. With Fulham and the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16 coming up on the horizon, getting this win after faltering for the first time since December was huge.