It has been a torrid month for City and they definitely want to see off the year. In a matter of weeks, they have found themselves third on the log, dropping from top spot and now they no longer seem like favorites to retain the league title, with Liverpool racing away. City have picked three wins out of seven across all competitions in the month of December; it all started with the loss to Chelsea before a labored win over Leicester on penalties in the League Cup and they head to this clash on the back of losses to Wolves and Leicester City in the Premier League. Southampton’s mini revival that saw them beat Arsenal and Huddersfield was checked by another resurgent side in West Ham and they will hope to get back to winning ways against a City side that seemed short in confidence against Leicester. City have scored in all but just two of their 28 matches this season while Southampton have scored in each of their last six matches. Southampton have picked just three wins in the season, 11 short of Manchester City’s tally of wins but only one of their wins has come at home – the one against Arsenal. The Saints do not have a very proud record at home to look back to; they have picked just two wins at home in their last 20 Premier League games. Manchester City, on the other hand, have lost just three out of their last 31 away league matches and have not lost to Southampton in the last five meetings, winning four and drawing one. They have 26 wins in 66 matches while Southampton have 22 wins over City.
On the Southampton vs Man City game, Owen said: “City have conceded from the first shot they have faced in three of the last four Premier League games they have played, and they won’t have things all their own way against a Saints’ side who, at the time of writing, have scored six goals and picked up six points from their last two games. City have won the last four Premier League games between the sides by an aggregate of 12-2, however, and I expect to see goals at St Mary’s in a game that City cannot afford to lose.
City need to forget they are playing Liverpool next week and play their best team in this game, to get back to winning ways. They have lost two on the trot but they have not started some of their big stars in those games, so now is the time for Pep Guardiola to get them back in the team from the start, if he can. As well as being without some key players, it would also help City if opposing teams would stop scoring wonder goals against them, and they have also conceded with the first shot they have faced in three of their past four league games. But, regardless of the circumstances, they have lost some of the aura they once had. It will be interesting to see if Saints do go out and attack them, because I do think it will help City if that happens.
Man City continues to amaze me, I thought that they were the main favorites for winning the Premier League, but it turned out that they have a strong competitor with an excellent coach. I still think that the City did not have much luck and should now get it in the next match. My prediction for winning Manchester City with a handicap -1.
It has been a torrid month for City and they definitely want to see off the year. In a matter of weeks, they have found themselves third on the log, dropping from top spot and now they no longer seem like favorites to retain the league title, with Liverpool racing away. City have picked three wins out of seven across all competitions in the month of December; it all started with the loss to Chelsea before a labored win over Leicester on penalties in the League Cup and they head to this clash on the back of losses to Wolves and Leicester City in the Premier League. Southampton’s mini revival that saw them beat Arsenal and Huddersfield was checked by another resurgent side in West Ham and they will hope to get back to winning ways against a City side that seemed short in confidence against Leicester. City have scored in all but just two of their 28 matches this season while Southampton have scored in each of their last six matches. Southampton have picked just three wins in the season, 11 short of Manchester City’s tally of wins but only one of their wins has come at home – the one against Arsenal. The Saints do not have a very proud record at home to look back to; they have picked just two wins at home in their last 20 Premier League games. Manchester City, on the other hand, have lost just three out of their last 31 away league matches and have not lost to Southampton in the last five meetings, winning four and drawing one. They have 26 wins in 66 matches while Southampton have 22 wins over City.