In a rather uneventful match, Manchester City drew 0-0 with Southampton at the weekend following an enthralling attacking display in midweek in their 6-3 victory over Leipzig. City and Southampton combined for a total of three shots on target in the entirety of the 90 minutes today in a classic stalemate against lower opposition.
City were nearly in danger of losing the match when referee Jon Moss initially pointed to the spot for the Saints and handed Kyle Walker a red card, but in the end, both decisions were overturned by VAR. With much of the week’s buildup focused on City’s support, the display on the pitch today was far worse going forward than what the crowd was treated to in the team’s midweek Champions League debut.
Southampton’s attempts to stifle City after suffering consecutive 5-0 defeats at their hands was always going to present a more difficult challenge for the forward line than RB Leipzig’s free-flowing style, but in the end, if City are to remain competitive in a vastly improved Premier League, these are crucial points. With just five matches played, the Citizens currently sit three points behind leaders Liverpool in third position at the moment, although this is likely to change as the matchweek progresses.
With an incredibly difficult stretch of matches looming on the horizon in the form of Chelsea, PSG, and Liverpool, Pep Guardiola’s men will need to find a way back to their very best. Although this run of fixtures is admittedly early in the season, it could go a long way in determining which teams have the momentum going forward in both Europe and the Premier League title race. Their next opportunity to do so comes in the Carabao Cup, a trophy City will attempt to win for a record-breaking fifth consecutive season, with League One side Wycombe Wanderers. For today, however, the result will inevitably go down as a missed opportunity and a disappointing letdown following such an exciting midweek.