World Football: 5 Reasons Why Southampton Can Shock Manchester City

Southampton certainly got the toughest possible assignment in their reintroduction to the Premier League.

Saints will get to travel to the Etihad Stadium to face title-holders Manchester City. City only dropped two points at home the entire season last year, going 18-0-1, and are 2/11 favorites to win the match against Southampton.

However, there are some reasons to believe that Southampton could pull a shock and at least get a point from their travels. Let's take a look at five of them.

It's Early

While Manchester City have a leg up in competitive matches over Southampton—having playing in the FA Community Shield game—that's no guarantee for early season success.

Manchester United, who were last season's Community Shield winners, had to rely on a late own-goal to beat West Bromich Albion 2-1 in their Premier League opener last season.

Despite playing many friendlies, the first game of the season is often the first time teams will field their true first-choice starting 11. Players may not have totally blended together or reached full fitness yet.

It there is a time to catch the defending champs at less-than-peak form, the first game is as good a time as any to do it.

Disruption of International Friendlies

With the Premier League campaign just about to start, it's an interesting time for an international break to pop up. But with many European countries starting their World Cup-qualifying groups in early September, it's a necessary last bit of preparation.

Manchester City features many more players that are factors on their respective national teams than Southampton. Practically every player on Manchester City's senior squad has international experience, while Southampton has just a handful.

Southampton will get to train this week without much interruption. Manchester City will have several players travelling and playing a match mid-week, then scrambling back to Manchester for a day or two of prep.

Will Southampton's fresher legs make a difference?

Continuity

Normally, teams coming up from the Championship will try to add a bunch of new pieces in order to improve the side for the higher level of competition.

Often, players that earned promotion are left behind because they have spent too much time in the lower leagues and are penalized for this fact, without getting the chance to prove themselves in the Premier League.

While Southampton have added four players to the side for the new campaign, they aren't really leaving anyone behind. The entire first-choice starting 11 will be part of the side in the upcoming season. Every Southampton player that played in at least half of Southampton's matches last season returns to this year's squad.

There is a good spirit among the team because of the team's continuity as they have progressed from League One. Look for this sense of togetherness to get Southampton through some tight and unfavorable circumstances.

Rickie Lambert

Rickie Lambert has been a goal-scoring machine in the lower leagues. While Vincent Kompany and Joleon Lescott are significantly better then your average Championship-level center-back, there is reason to believe Lambert may find some success against Manchester City.

Despite being of decent size themselves, Kompany and Lescott seemed to struggle a bit last season against powerful strikers. Nicklas Bendtner and Peter Crouch were able to take advantage of size and power advantages to tally goals against Manchester City late in the season last year.

Lambert has one legend who believes in his ability to produce at the Premier League level: "Le God" himself, Matt Le Tissier.

“A lot depends on the system that we play and how much service we get to him,” said Le Tissier in an interview with the Southern Daily Echo. “But I’m sure if he gets the service then Rickie will put them away.”

The Preseason Schedule

Facing Manchester City for the first game of the season won't seem nearly as daunting after the gauntlet of preseason friendlies Southampton put themselves through.

Southampton faced four squads who have clinched, or are still battling for, spots in the UEFA Champions League. Southampton started their preseason playing Arsenal and Belgian champions Anderlecht in the Marcus Liebherr Cup, which is a competition where each team plays 45 minutes against each of the other two teams. 

After a training camp and two games in France, Southampton returned home and faced another title-winning squad, Dutch champions Ajax. Saints wrapped up their preseason with a home match against the third-place side in Serie A, Udinese.

While Southampton's only success was a victory on penalties after a 1-1 draw with Arsenal, the tests that the Saints have faced will serve them well against Manchester City on Sunday.