After losing two games in a row, Manchester City got back to winning ways as they secured a 3-1 win against Southampton.
The Saints fought well but two late goals in the first half were enough after Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s equaliser had brought the Saints level.
Here are the Manchester City players rated in their win over the Saints.
Ederson (8/10): Did well despite conceding a goal inside the first half. His save to deny Charlie Austin proved crucial, and the Brazilian was also excellent with his overall distribution. A comprehensive display.
Danilo (6.5/10): Replaced Kyle Walker in the right-back position, but didn’t enjoy the most convincing game as the Brazilian struggled to cope with the Southampton attack, at times. However, he provided additional support to the City attackers going forward.
Vincent Kompany (7/10): Looked out of touch in dealing with the threat of Austin in the first half, but his game vastly improved in the second half.
Aymeric Laporte (7.5/10): A half decent performance from the Frenchman, who did a better job than Kompany, largely thanks to his excellent distribution, which helped Manchester City’s build-up from the back.
Oleksandr Zinchenko (7.5/10): A mixed performance from the Ukrainian starlet, who was culpable for Southampton’s equaliser as he lost concentration. But, the 22-year-old provided Sergio Aguero with the ball to kill the game deep in the extra time of the first half. His attacking game was excellent.
Bernardo Silva (8/10): Continued his excellent form as the Portuguese had a key role to play in Manchester City’s opening goal of the game. He was crucial as the Sky Blues dominated possession.
Fernandinho (9/10): Pep Guardiola will be delighted to have Fernandinho back at full fitness, as the Brazilian commanded the midfield with some top-notch passing and excellent tackling, which provided security to the back-four.
David Silva (8.5/10): A much better performance from the Spaniard, who acted as the main creative spark for Manchester City. He made more key passes than anyone else on the pitch and also scored the all-important opener early in the game.
Riyad Mahrez (6.5/10): Looked menacing whenever he had the ball but somehow lacked the incision. A mixed bag.
Sergio Aguero (7.5/10): Produced a good shift in the number nine as role as the occupied the Southampton backline by making a host of dangerous runs in and around the penalty area. Scored a late goal in the first half to seal all three points for his side.
Raheem Sterling (7/10): Much like Mahrez, Sterling was largely anonymous as he was often closed down by the Saints defenders. He did deliver three key passes, however – a tally only bettered by teammate David Silva.
Substitutes
Gabriel Jesus (6/10): Replaced Aguero in the 73rd minute but failed to make any notable impact.
Leroy Sane (NA): An 84th-minute replacement for Mahrez.
Kyle Walker (NA): Replaced Fernandinho with just four minutes left on the clock as Guardiola opted for an extra defensive body.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored
