Manchester City v Southampton - KO-18:00 GMT Wednesday 10th March 2021 -Premier League Match Preview and MDT | Vital Football

Manchester City v Southampton - KO-18:00 GMT Wednesday 10th March 2021 -Premier League Match Preview and MDT

Buzz Lightyear

Alert Team
Let's get Back on the Horse
The end of the run came against the inevitable Stretford Town, so it is down to us to get things going again and get 3 points in the bag so we can get closer to our target of attempting to regain the title and it is still only us that can lose this, but we do need to play better than we did on Sunday.
Southampton are the visitors and as dangerous at JoMU in that they could be sucked into a relegation battle so they will need the points. City need to maintain the gap which has now closed slightly, but we do not need to give the chasing pack more encouragement that they can catch us.
I am sure that Pep will change the team and engage fresh legs, while Southampton will not want to lose the match but get at least a point from their visit to the Etihad.
Shaun Goater and Andy Morrison will team up once again for our live matchday show alongside host, Natalie Pike. The duo went down in City folklore as part of our 1999 Second Division play-off final winning side, and will offer their insight on Pep Guardiola’s current crop across the whole show, which begins an hour before kick-off. (mancity.com) (Twitter #WNRH)

Pep Guardiola's Preview
"I am a big fan of the style Ralph and his team play. It’s another test to play good and try to win."
"I watch many Southampton games. The quality they do, we suffered a lot to beat them there."
"We will have to do a good performance tomorrow to get the result."

City Team News - Everyone is fit and raring to be picked with Nathan Ake available for selection again, and no issues arising from Sunday’s Manchester derby, Pep Guardiola revealed in his pre-match press conference that he has a full squad to select from.

Beat the Pep
Ederson
Walker Stones Dias Zinchenko
Fernandinho, Bernardo, De Bruyne, Foden, Torres
Gundogan

Match Officials
Referee:
Jonathan Moss
Assistants: Marc Perry, Dan Robathan
Fourth official: Martin Atkinson
VAR: Andy Madley
Assistant VAR: Stephen Child


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Premier League Sat 13 March kick-off 20:00 a BT Sports game
 
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Saints have given us issues in the past, but not this time. Pep will make the usual 4/7 changes to keep them hungry and fresh. Kev will likely be on the bench, he has been poor since he came back after injury.
 
Saints have given us issues in the past, but not this time. Pep will make the usual 4/7 changes to keep them hungry and fresh. Kev will likely be on the bench, he has been poor since he came back after injury.
Kev needs to work himself back in off the bench.
 
That's why we don't need Messi, he will make us a worse team as strange as that might sound.
Messi does not work like he used to and would be a massive target in the Prem. He likes to move about from the right and then drift into the middle, but does not do much tracking back. The disruption that his pay packet would cause is not worth it. In any case chances are that he will stay after the election, then move to the US for one big final deal in 2 years time. As good as he still is we don't need him and his family would stay in Spain, probably affecting his form.
 
I don't think we will see Aguero tonight and in the Beat the Pep, I have changed him for Gundogan, if the news in the media is correct, he is not in the right frame of mind to play, if he has already decided that he wants to play at Barcelona next season.
 
The views of him looking slightly bemused in the stands on Sunday .........not being called upon to try and recover us from a 0-2 deficit against JoMU may quite possibly have been the final sign to him that his time at City was closing out. He might well have been expected to be have been given a role to play at some point and for that not to happen........if his mind wasn’t already made then it may well have been a key moment for him. 😕
 
The views of him looking slightly bemused in the stands on Sunday .........not being called upon to try and recover us from a 0-2 deficit against JoMU may quite possibly have been the final sign to him that his time at City was closing out. He might well have been expected to be have been given a role to play at some point and for that not to happen........if his mind wasn’t already made then it may well have been a key moment for him. 😕
Pep says City will deal with this in the summer, but if it was me I would want to know if I should be looking for a job
 
Yep. You would want to take some control of your destiny. I really hope it doesn't all end in tears and with a falling out/recriminations.
 
Commentary By John Edwards @ManCity
17:13
KDB leading the line?
There's no recognised striker in our starting XI this evening. Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden have all played as a false nine previously and Shaun Goater believes the Belgian could reprise that role this evening.
"If I stuck my head out I’d probably say KDB would be the one because when we've seen him play there he’s been superb and has been able to drop and get involved in the midfield. But Foden and Mahrez will also end up there as a centre forward position too, the rotation is so brilliant now. A really strong team, I’m excited when I look at this because these players will be wanting to get back on track."
 
Commentary By John Edwards @ManCity
17:20
Andy Morrison - Adams a great outlet for Saints
"Che Adams gives them a great outlet. He will be the highest player, he gives them a focal point, they’ll try and get players close to him. Redmond plays off him very well. Obviously Ward-Prowse on the set plays, they’re very dangerous on set plays with two big centre halves and the delivery is excellent. They took great plaudits at the start of the season with the press and the energy, but I think when it started to go against them, maybe the depth of the squad didn’t help them. They probably came up a bit short in that area."
 
Joao Cancelo – I feel like a more complete player
Our Portuguese full-back has won plenty of plaudits this season for his unique approach to the full-back role. Cancelo has impressed with his ability to move inside and play as an extra midfielder and he says Pep Guardiola has instrumental in his development.

“He has had a huge influence on my role here at Manchester City,” Cancelo revealed in describing the impact of working under the boss. I was always used to play as a right back, but now I have learnt how to play in the midfield, with my back against the opponent's goal.

“It’s a completely different role and I give all the credit to Pep Guardiola for thinking about that and helping me develop in a different position on the pitch, in the midfield, alongside Rodri and Fernandinho, for instance.

“I feel like a more complete player now, both technically and tactically.”
 
Commentary By John Edwards @ManCity
17:27
Neil Leigh - Live from the Etihad
It’s a wet and windy Wednesday night here at the Etihad as City resume Premier League action at home to Southampton. Typical Manchester weather cynics might say!
Pep Guardiola’s squad will, of course, be seeking a positive response in the wake of last Sunday’s 2-0 derby defeat to Manchester United which brought our remarkable 28-game unbeaten run to an end. There’s no lack of incentive for City tonight – not least the fact that a victory would extend our lead at the top of the table to 14 points with none of our rivals in action again until the weekend.
It won’t be easy as Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side have shown they do possess the capability to challenge the best – and it’s also worth remembering that the Saints reached the top of the Premier League for the first time in their history back in November.
However, one of the many distinguishing hallmarks of the superb City squad assembled by Pep is that whenever we have suffered a setback, the response is always swift, decisive and impressive. Here’s hoping that pattern continues tonight!