Southampton Vs Manchester City
Southampton Vs Manchester City Saturday 22 January, 2022 – 17:30 (GMT)
English Premier League
Pick: Southampton +1.5 Asian Handicap
Odds: 11/10
Bookmaker: Bet365
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 20 January 2022)
Preview: Runaway Premier League leaders Man City are closing in on the all-time record for consecutive victories in the competition, currently six shy of the record set by both themselves and Liverpool in recent campaigns. Is there any hope of Southampton halting the Pep Guardiola juggernaut this weekend?
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Table of Contents
Southampton – St Mary’s to frustrate another of the league’s big guns?
Just when it seemed the Saints had peaked with their emphatic 4-1 win over Brentford, they go and produce a sloppy performance to lose 3-1 at Wolves. It is this inconsistency which explains why they remain marooned in mid-table, 11 points clear of relegation trouble but too far from the European places to be considered a threat. They could be absolutely anything on the day on Saturday, such is their unpredictability.
Streaky Saints have now not seen the same result repeated in consecutive outings for the last six league games (LDWDWL), further underlining their inconsistent nature. In some ways, it bodes well for the visit of Man City, whom they held 0-0 at the Eithad earlier in the season. It helps that St Mary’s has become something of a fortress for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men, losing none of the last seven at this venue (W3 D4).
Key Stat: This season has so far seen Southampton host three of the current top seven teams in the Premier League, losing none of these match-ups (1-1 vs Man Utd and Tottenham, 0-0 vs West Ham). Eighth-placed Wolves remain the only visiting team to win at St Mary’s in 2021-22 (W3 D6 L1).
Manchester City – Is there any stopping Pep’s juggernaut?
In pursuit of their fifth Premier League title in five seasons, an imperious Man City are threatening to turn what was supposedly the most competitive title race in recent memory into a procession. Kevin de Bruyne’s superb dribble and strike from distance settled last week’s meeting of the sides in first and second, a 1-0 win over Chelsea that represented a 12th consecutive victory in the competition for Pep Guardiola’s men.
Seven of those wins were to nil. However, all of the last three were by single-goal margins, something they had only managed once in their six previous victories. So they are not quite dispatching sides with the same gusto as they once were. Albeit their last two fixtures were against Arsenal and Chelsea. Against the former of that pair, City conceded in the first half of an away league game for the first time this season.
Key Stat: Man City have scored ten fewer goals away from home this season from the same number of games played at the Etihad this season (11 matches), but have still managed to score at least twice in seven of the last eight away league games.
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Southampton Vs Manchester City Betting Advice
In the reverse fixture between these sides, Southampton produced something of an upset in September, frustrating Man City in a goalless stalemate at the Etihad. Since then, Pep Guardiola’s team has dropped just four points from a possible 51 and won each of their last twelve league fixtures to amass a near-unsurmountable 11 point lead atop the league table. Surely it is a matter of how many at St Mary’s?
Southampton Vs Manchester City – Key Facts:
- Coming into this game, Southampton had won only two of their previous ten league games (D4 L4). In sharp contrast, Man City have won all of their last twelve in the competition.
- The Saints do have St Mary’s to galvanise themselves, though. Southampton are unbeaten in their last seven Premier League home games (W3 D4).
- Each of Man City’s last three league victories were by single-goal margins. Meanwhile, the last four Southampton home games saw both teams score.
Well, not necessarily. Across the past four seasons City have only beaten Southampton by more than a solitary goal on one occasion at St Mary’s (W3 L1), doing so by a 1-0 scoreline last season. Moreover, the Saints have put together a seven game unbeaten run at this ground, losing one of 10 home league games all season with the likes of Man Utd, Tottenham and West Ham all coming unstuck by the South Coast.
Best Betting Odds – Southampton vs Manchester City
Southampton – 10/1 (Coral)
Draw – 5/1 (PaddyPower)
Manchester City – 2/7 (WilliamHill)
