Manchester City vs. Southampton: Winners and Losers from Premier League
Manchester City moved provisionally to the top of the Premier League table with a 3-1 victory at home to Southampton on Saturday at the Etihad Stadium.
First-half goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Fabian Delph put the hosts in control, but Southampton came back into the match with Shane Long's strike early in the second half. Aleksandar Kolarov restored City's two-goal lead with a low shot in the 69th minute, effectively sealing the points.
Here, Bleacher Report selects winners and losers from the match.
Winner: Kevin De Bruyne
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Kevin De Bruyne continued his fine first season with Manchester City by playing a part in all three of his side's goals on Saturday.
In the ninth minute, the Belgian had a simple tap-in after Raheem Sterling got the better of Maya Yoshida and crossed from the left side of the box. According to Opta Joe, it was the seventh time this season that De Bruyne had been involved in a goal at the Etihad.
But he was far from finished. In the 20th minute, De Bruyne's corner picked out Fabian Delph, who hit a deflected shot past Maarten Stekelenburg for City's second goal. Then, in the 69th minute, he unlocked the defense with a cross to Aleksandar Kolarov, who powered in a low shot for City's third.
Passes like the latter showed exactly why City were willing to pay so dearly for De Bruyne in the summer transfer window. According to Opta Joe, the Belgian has assisted more goals than any other player in Europe's top five leagues since the start of last season.
Since Chelsea sold him, De Bruyne has improved impressively. He now ranks among the Premier League's top players.
"Kevin De Bruyne looks twice the player he ever did at Chelsea, physically as much as anything," tweeted Jim White of the Telegraph.
Loser: Referee Roger East
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Referee Roger East missed a clear penalty for each team.
In the 20th minute, Fernandinho met a Man City corner with a powerful header that appeared destined for the back of the net. But Steven Davis cleared the ball off the line with a blatant handball, ending the danger.
City scored moments later, but Davis' handball should have given the hosts a penalty—and it should have resulted in a dismissal for Davis.
Fernandinho was on the other side in the 62nd minute, clearing Shane Long's shot with his arm. Again, East should have awarded a penalty but failed to do so.
Since City won by two goals, the poor decisions didn't affect the outcome of the game. But at this level, the officials must do better.
Winner: Fabian Delph
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Fabian Delph marked his first start for Manchester City with a strong performance and a goal.
The midfielder endured a difficult start to his City career, with injuries pushing back his first start until late December. But his presence in midfield allowed Yaya Toure to move farther forward, easing the Ivorian's defensive responsibilities.
And Delph took his chance well, though he did benefit from a deflection.
“It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster ride for me because it’s been stop-start, but training with these players can only help me," Delph told BBC Sport. "Football has ups and downs but we’ve got more than enough quality in the locker to bounce back from difficult weeks."
Loser: Maya Yoshida
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Maya Yoshida had a torrid time on Southampton's right flank, frequently struggling to keep up with Raheem Sterling and giving away possession ahead of City's opening goal.
In the ninth minute, Yoshida took too much time with the ball at his feet in Southampton's half, allowing Sterling to nip in and take away the ball. Sterling raced into the box before crossing to Kevin De Bruyne, who finished from close range.
Jose Fonte also had to take some blame for his poor position on the goal, but Yoshida was the main culprit for allowing the swift attack in the first place.
"Can they just call the mercy rule here, or do we need to watch Sterling clown Yoshida for another 81 minutes?" tweeted ESPN FC's Michael Caley.
Sadly for Yoshida, no mercy rule went into effect.
Winner: City's Response
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The past week had been difficult for City. After a demoralizing 4-1 defeat at home to Liverpool in the Premier League last weekend, the Sky Blues traveled to Turin and lost 1-0 to Juventus in the UEFA Champions League.
Manuel Pellegrini's side thus entered Saturday's match in poor form—and in third place in the Premier League table. But this victory took them back to the top for at least a few hours. And after an improved performance, City can be pleased with their progress, as Rob Pollard wrote at the Manchester Evening News:
"This was a vastly improved performance from City. Right from the off, they looked sharper and hungrier than they have in the last week, and Southampton, a decent side in their own right, struggled to contain them, particularly in the first half.
Back-to-back defeats to Liverpool and Juventus had halted City’s progress domestically and in Europe and they needed a response. Without Joe Hart and Vincent Kompany it was never going to be an easy task, but Manuel Pellegrini will be pleased with the improvements his side showed.
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City will hope to continue the progress as the fixtures begin to pile up. Next for Pellegrini's men is a Capital One Cup quarter-final against Hull City on Tuesday, followed by a potentially tricky trip to Stoke City next weekend in the Premier League.
The calendar says that only 33 days remain in 2015, but City still have eight games to play before 2016 arrives. The upcoming period should provide a sense of how well the Sky Blues will be able to challenge for honors on multiple fronts.
