Manchester City FC vs Southampton FC, English Premier League 2024-25, Today Match Prediction

Manchester City FC vs Southampton FC Match Prediction & Analysis

The matchup between Manchester City and Southampton is like the classic tale of David vs.Goliath. On one side, we have the towering giants, Manchester City, the defending champions, sitting comfortably at the top half of the points table, while on the other hand, we have Southampton, languishing at the bottom half of the table, yearning for the first taste of success this season. 

Head-to-Head Record: City has totally dominated this rivalry with a win-loss record of 22-7 in 38 games. 

Current Standings: The defending champions are currently placed second in the league standings, with just one point separating them from the top-placed Liverpool. On the other hand, Southampton finds themselves in the relegation zone with just one point at the 19th position, yet to register a win. 

TEAMS PREVIEW

Manchester City FC Preview

It has been a tough couple of games for City ever since they lost Rodri to injury. Especially, the recent matchup against Wolves would have given Pep Guardiola a lot to ponder about. 

In the past, Manchester City has had trouble defeating clubs that use a low-block defence. But without Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne, they struggled even more against the Wolves. They simply lacked the creative ability to penetrate Wolves' defence, which led to a lack of opportunities during the game. Overall, they finished with an xG of 1.62 vs. Wolves, while their xG per game this season has been 2.38. 

Haaland has not found the back of the net in three consecutive games. The striker actually only got 13 touches during last week's match against the Wolves. It should come as no surprise that his goal drought has occurred while Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri have been out. 

Although Kevin De Bruyne hopes to make a comeback this weekend, Pep is unlikely to rush him. In any event, Phil Foden, the star who excelled last season when De Bruyne was injured, is fully recovered and is probably going to start as an advanced number 10 against Southampton. 

Manchester City Probable XI - Ederson (GK); Gvardiol, Dias, Akanji, Lewis (Defenders); Kovacic, Foden, Gundogan (Midfielders) ; Haaland, Doku  Doku, Savinho (Forwards)

Southampton FC Preview

Sadly, losing is just as much of a habit as winning. This is confirmed by the Saints' most recent match versus Leicester City. After leading 2-0 at halftime and controlling the game and creating more chances, Southampton found themselves in a comfortable position in their match against Leicester. 

However, after the parity in the 64th minute, the game took a completely different turn in the second half, and the Saints lost by a score of 2-3. The team's morale will undoubtedly be at an all-time low, but Russell Martin must find a way to boost their confidence, or Manchester City will severely punish them at the Etihad.

Poor defence is a problem Southampton shares with the majority of struggling teams that wind up in the bottom half of a points table. The Saints have given up 18 goals in 8 games so far this season, which is the second-highest number of any team. It's interesting to note that six of those have come from errors—the most by a club this season. And six of those eighteen have come from set pieces. 

After serving a five-match suspension for a red card and using "abusive and insulting language" towards officials, Jack Stephens will finally be available. When Southampton visits the Etihad, Will Smallbone might also have recovered from his injury. Ross Stewart and Gavin Bazunu, however, are still out.

Southampton Probable XI - Ramsdale (GK) ; Kyle Peters, Stephens,Bellis, Sugawara (Defenders); Downes, Smallbone, Manning, Aribo Armstrong, Dibling (Midfielders); Cameron Archer ( Forward) 

MANCHESTER CITY FC vs SOUTHAMPTON FC
Winning Prediction

If we go by just stats, Southampton could easily qualify as one of the worst teams in the competition. Add to that, they are up against a side that hasn't lost a game at home in ages. Furthermore, Southampton have won just one of their last 14 games against City (D3.L10). In the last season, the Saints lost both games, that too by a margin of 1-4 and 0-4.

This clash on paper is the easiest one to predict, as most betting sites back an easy win for City. City are overwhelming favourites to win, with odds of 1.10 to Southampton's 21.00 and odds of a draw of 9.50. Meanwhile, an xG of 3.5/4 is predicted for the clash. 

Southampton has no choice but to defend as if their lives are dependent on it. Nevertheless, one doesn't see any other outcome than a comfortable win for Manchester City. 

Manchester City to Win (4-1)

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