Prediction: Man City win
Best Odds: 1/7
Bookmaker: 888sport
The Premier League is back once again this weekend with a whole host of fixtures to get fans tuning in across the country. One such example of that comes at the Etihad tomorrow when Manchester City play host to Southampton in a game that’ll, it’s safe to say, mean different things to both clubs. City want to prove why they’re the reigning champions of England whereas Southampton understand they need to start winning games to avoid being dragged into another relegation scrap.
Manchester City
Manchester City started the season off poorly but boy oh boy have they hit back with a real vengeance under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola. They’ve started scoring goals for fun and while they may not have a distinct “striker” to lead the line right now, it doesn’t really matter. As long as they can keep pushing the tempo and sticking to the philosophy that got them to the dance, there shouldn’t be many clubs out there in England who can beat them.
Team News
Mendy is still out due to the charges against him with Laporte and Stones being viewed as fitness concerns for the visit of the Saints.
Southampton
Some think Ralph Hasenhuttl has been left high and dry whereas others think he could be one of the main reasons why Southampton aren’t thriving in the way many believe they should be. Either way, we’re talking about a club that knows how to bring through world class players before eventually selling them off to bigger teams – which is the kind of status quo that any fan would be desperate to break.
Team News
Long is a doubt despite returning to training after suffering from COVID-19, with the three confirmed absences being Smallbone, Walcott and Armstrong.
Factors to Consider
- In their last meeting back in March, Man City beat Southampton 5-2.
- Man City have won four and lost two of their last six games.
- Southampton have won one, drawn three and lost two of their last six games.
- Man City have scored 17 goals and conceded five in their last six games.
- Southampton have scored 12 goals and conceded nine in their last six games.
Conclusion
Southampton have a tendency to receive a pretty bad beating from time to time and Manchester City can’t seem to stop scoring. When you piece those two facts together, it’s not exactly a stretch to say this could be a really bad day at the office for the Saints. We think City are going to score early and keep that intensity high for the remainder of the game, ending in a one-sided 4-0 domination that cements Pep’s men’s status as the frontrunners to retain their crown.
Prediction: Man City win
Best Odds: 1/7
Bookmaker: 888sport
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