Manchester City 0-0 Southampton: Goalscoring dries up

Manchester City's Portuguese defender Ruben Dias (L) and Southampton's Morrocan-born Norwegian midfielder Mohamed Elyounoussi (R) vie for the ball during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Southampton at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on September 18, 2021. - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images) /

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.

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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.