Manchester City vs. Southampton: Score, Grades and Reaction from Premier League
A farewell goal from the New York-bound Frank Lampard helped Manchester City end their season with victory over Southampton. Sergio Aguero struck late in the second half to seal a 2-0 win and second place for Manuel Pellegrini's side.
Southampton's loss means they finish a positive 2014-15 campaign in seventh, outside of the guaranteed Europa League spots. An Arsenal win over Aston Villa in next Saturday's FA Cup final will see that competition's place go to them, however.
Ronald Koeman's men began aggressively at the Etihad Stadium, immediately putting the home side on the back foot.
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Two Steven Davis dead-ball deliveries were cleared within the first two minutes, the latter from a free-kick out left following a Martin Demichelis foul on Filip Djuricic for which the Argentinian was booked.
After another testing Southampton centre, this time from Ryan Bertrand, Man City began to offer a response of their own
Playmaker David Silva was unsurprisingly at the centre of things. The nimble-footed Spaniard dancing inside and out of Saints midfield duo Davis and Victor Wanyama's attempts to shut him down, promptly passing around them when a passing option opened up.
An Aleksandar Kolarov cross cleared by Bertrand was their first real effort to concern Southampton.
Zabaleta and James Milner threatened out right but found space limited with Toby Alderweireld and others on hand. Kolarov tried a further two times to pick a team-mate out from the left, but he put it way behind goal once and was cleared by the midfielder Davis the next.
Southampton were not prepared to sit back and just allow the Premier League's second-best team to play, either, though the temptation might have been there with the division's top scorer Sergio Aguero lurking around.
Graziano Pelle began to give Man City something to think about in the air. On the 20-minute mark, his ground work led to his side's best chance up to that point, a clever touch playing in Shane Long, who was well denied by Joe Hart.
The threat posed by Aguero and friends was evident within seconds of that opportunity, though.
Yaya Toure led them forward before the ball deflected kindly for Silva, who sent Aguero down the right-hand channel, only for the striker to fire wide of goal.
Four minutes later, Toure stung Southampton goalkeeper Kelvin Davis' palms with a shot from the edge of the area. It fell at the predatory Aguero's feet, but Davis reacted superbly to stop him.
In the ascendancy, Man City deservedly opened the scoring on the 31st minute. Moving the ball quickly from left to right, Milner was set up to cross for an unmarked Lampard, who converted with the impressive calmness for which he has become renowned in a legendary Premier League career.
Southampton responded well in the first half's remainder—Duricic stretching City with Long and Pelle lively centrally—but it was City who should have scored next. Toure squared it for Aguero, who was then denied again by Davis.
After the interval the visitors upped their game with Davis and Sadio Mane driving their team on. Saints were unable to create anything to seriously bother City, though, with two offside Pelle chances the closest they got to go. Indeed, it was Man City who had the best chance of this period, a tame but unchallenged back-post header from Lampard.
The arrival of James Ward-Prowse signaled a renewed focus midway through the half. The substitute combined well with the pacy Mane, who almost broke through on goal.
The substitutions of Toure, Lampard and Milner somewhat sucked the life out of any gathering Southampton momentum. Each receiving lengthy standing ovations from the home crowd with the goalscorer definitely leaving, and the other two possibly also on their way.
Man City took hold again, putting the match firmly beyond doubt when Sergio Aguero nodded in Eliaquim Mangala's header across goal on the 88th minute.
Notable Player Grades
Frank Lampard: B+
Lampard signed off his Premier League career in style with a well-taken goal. Relatively quiet overall, he was still involved in some of Man City's better moves and got a deservedly loud farewell from the home fans.
Sergio Aguero: B+
Not the striker's sharpest day in front of goal. He kept at it, though, and deserved to take his tally to 26 for the season.
Joe Hart: A-
A commanding, flawless showing from the England goalkeeper. No save to rival his excellent effort at Swansea City last week, but he set the tone for a convincing Man City display.
Sadio Mane: C+
A week after scoring the Premier League's quickest-ever hat-trick, Mane unsurprisingly found things tougher against City than Aston Villa.
Jose Fonte: B
Despite Southampton conceding two, the skipper led another impressive display from his defence, which frustrated Man City for large periods.
Kelvin Davis: B
Davis held his own against Aguero and company. There was little he could do about either of City's goals.
Post-Match Reaction
