Manchester City to bounce back to winning ways in style at Southampton

Sky Sports Premier League & Main Event, 2.15pm Sunday

Manchester City have found themselves third in a supposed two-horse Premier League title race but the classy champions can bounce back from their miserable Christmas to finish 2018 with a bang by comfortably beating Southampton at St Mary's.

Pep Guardiola's squad have been rocked by their recent run of Premier League results, losing three of their last four matches, and they desperately need to find the swashbuckling style which made them so irresistible.

Losing away to Chelsea is understandable, but less so were the defeats to Crystal Palace and Leicester that have put them under immense pressure heading into Thursday's huge date with leaders Liverpool.

Before that Guardiola's men head to Southampton and it appears an ideal opportunity to restore confidence. City are understandably long odds-on to return to winning ways and it could pay to back the visitors in a match featuring at least three goals.

That bet offers two ways to win. One is if City smash Saints out of sight, and they proved they are capable of doing in the reverse fixture at the Etihad which finished 6-1. The other is if the champions' defence creaks again.

A perfectionist like Guardiola will be fuming at his team's failure to keep a clean sheet in nine matches even if the footballing gods have been against City. Their opponents have scored with their first attempt in their three defeats, while Andros Townsend and Ricardo Pereira produced sensational goals.

Southampton's decent start to life under Ralph Hasenhuttl was put into some context by Thursday's 2-1 loss to West Ham which followed back-to-back successes over a weakened Arsenal side and Huddersfield.

• Premier League standings

Hasenhuttl has managed to get Saints playing with a more positive attitude with Stuart Armstrong and Nathan Redmond in support of Danny Ings, while they are already establishing a pattern of being eager in midfield and pressing opponents.

However, Hasenhuttl has inherited a defence which is lacking the quality to keep things tight against England's elite teams.

Southampton have conceded 19 times in their six matches against the big six this season and they were taken apart by Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sane, David Silva and Sergio Aguero in Manchester last month.

The bad news is that City are, in theory at least, even more dangerous in the final third and they have had one more day to prepare for this contest which is always a help during this hectic period.

Southampton's squad is stretched whereas City are blessed with game-changers galore on the bench and that could be telling in the latter stages.

Recommendation
Man City to win & over 2.5 goals
2pts 31-40 Betway

Bet on this game at Soccerbase.com

Team news
Southampton
Ryan Bertrand is once again expected to miss out and Michael Obafemi is sidelined. Mario Lemina is doubtful but Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg returns from suspension.

Man City
Benjamin Mendy remains sidelined and Fabian Delph is suspended but Fernandinho, Gabriel Jesus and Vincent Kompany have returned to training.

Key stat
Southampton have dropped 15 points from winning positions, the most of any side heading into round 20 of the Premier League.

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