Man City’s UEFA Champions League hopes took a hit in surprise fashion as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Southampton, who secured the point they needed to surpass Derby’s all-time Premier League-low tally of 11 points in a season.
As one might expect of a game between UEFA Champions League-chasing Man City and already-relegated Southampton, this game had the feel of a training ground match.
Pep Guardiola’s men were camped firmly in the Saints’ half for most of the opening stages, but a distinct lack of scoring opportunities hinted they may have to be patient despite their territorial dominance.
Man City were so blunt in the final third that 32 minutes had passed before they fired an effort towards Aaron Ramsdale’s goal. Even then it was from a free-kick, as Kevin De Bruyne’s 20-yard strike whistled narrowly over the crossbar.
Considering no side in the Premier League has conceded more first-half goals than Southampton this season, City’s struggles in the opening 45 minutes were something of a surprise. But as the halftime whistle was sounded, Southampton were halfway towards securing the point they needed to surpass Derby’s unwanted Premier League record. Such a tepid display prompted Guardiola to introduce Jeremy Doku at halftime, but even his introduction did little to change the flow of the game, with Man City doing all the leg work but creating precious little.
Doku was at least involved in Man City’s first big chance of the game, jinking his way to the byline and cutting the ball back for Bernardo Silva, but his goalbound effort was hacked off the line heroically by Jack Stephens. There was a growing sense that it wasn’t going to be City’s day, and those fears were heightened when Erling Haaland rolled the ball across the six-yard line for the unmarked Nico O’Reilly, but the substitute incredibly took an air shot with the goal at his mercy.
City kept probing for a late winner, and weren’t shy in coming forwards, with Savinho, De Bruyne and Omar Marmoush all coming close to finding a late goal. But Southampton incredibly held on to secure the point they needed to avoid making unwanted history in the most unlikely of circumstances, as they kept just a third league clean sheet of the season.
Finishing in the top five still remains in Man City’s hands, but they could be left to rue these dropped points come the end of the campaign.
