Southampton v Man City predictions and betting tips

Where to watch Southampton v Man City

Sky Sports Main Event & Premier League, 5.30pm Saturday

Best bet

Man City to win & over 3.5 goals
1pt 2-1 BoyleSports

Southampton v Man City odds

Southampton 14-1
Man City 1-4
Draw 11-2

Odds correct at time of publishing

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Southampton v Man City team news

Southampton
Mohamed Salisu and Che Adams are out. Armel Bella-Kotchap is a doubt. Tino Livramento and Juan Larios are long-term absentees.

Man City
Phil Foden is out but Erling Haaland has returned to training and could start.

Southampton v Man City predictions

Three months after one of those season-defining moments, Manchester City can avenge a shock loss at St Mary's by taking Southampton apart when they return to the Hampshire coast on Saturday evening.

The first leg of City's quad hopes were ended in January courtesy of a dismal 2-0 defeat at Southampton in the League Cup.

No one saw it coming and it certainly sparked City into life while apparently doing little for Southampton's long-term prosperity.

Ruben Selles, the third different Saints' boss to take on Pep Guardiola this season, reckons he has a gameplan to make City think at St Mary's, although all the evidence points to the visitors winning and winning well.

The lowest scorers in the Premier League up against the highest - two teams separated by 41 points and 19 places with a goals swing of 69 in City's favour. And the City line-up taking to the pitch at St Mary's this time will have a different look and a different mindset from the last time they visited.

A week ago Guardiola was hailing one of the best performances City had ever produced under him as they dismantled Liverpool 4-1. That was achieved without any input from 42-goal Erling Haaland, who isn't guaranteed a start after a groin strain with Bayern Munich looming in the Champions League, especially as the Grealish-Alvarez-Mahrez triumvirate worked an absolute treat against Jurgen Klopp's Reds.

Southampton are arguably more resolute than Liverpool simply because they will be less naive offensively.

But, with time running out, trips to Arsenal and Newcastle still to come and at least a win away from safety, can they just reinforce the barricades and pray for something on the counter or from a James Ward-Prowse set-piece, which appears to be about their only trump card.

They have pace from players such as Kamal Sulemana and Sekou Mara if Selles fancies them to be able to do abundant defensive duties as well.

The bottom line is that City are absolutely on fire right now and while Southampton's record of just two losses in five to City is more than presentable, three of their last six meetings with Pep's boys have ended in 5-2, 4-1 and 4-0 dismantlings.

Whether Haaland plays or not seems almost irrelevant given their record with Alvarez.

In the nine City games the World Cup winner has started without Haaland, the ex-River Plate ace has scored five goals and had four assists. And City have won seven of those nine, drawing one.

Key stat

Man City have scored 17 goals in their last three matches

Probable teams

Southampton (4-4-2): Bazunu; Walker-Peters, Bednarek, Caleta-Car, Perraud; Armstrong, Ward-Prowse, Lavia, Elyounoussi; Walcott, Onuachu.
Subs: Bella-Kotchap, Lyanco, Maitland-Niles, Diallo, Aribo, Alcaraz, Sulemana, Orsic, Mara.

Man City (3-2-3-2): Ederson; Akanji, Dias, Ake; Stones, Rodri; Mahrez, De Bruyne, Grealish; Alvarez, Haaland.
Subs: Laporte, Lewis, Gomez, Palmer, Phillips, Gundogan, Silva, Perrone.

Inside info

Southampton

Penalty taker James Ward-Prowse
Assist ace James Ward-Prowse/Romain Perraud
Set-piece aerial threat Jan Bednarek
Card magnet Romeo Lavia