Man City 4
Toure 3’ (pen), Nasri 45’,′ Dzeko 45’,′ Jovetic 81’
Southampton 1
Lambert 37’ (pen)
MANCHESTER // Injury time has rarely seemed so unfair. Not for Southampton and certainly not for the luckless Jay Rodriguez. Injury time cost Saints two goals, the first of which should have been disallowed. The injury that necessitated it may have cost their top scorer and most-improved player a World Cup place.
Manchester City and the Etihad Stadium crowd applauded the in-form Englishman as he was stretchered off with a seemingly serious knee injury. Yet their sympathy only went so far. They used the time referee Chris Foy added at the end of the first half to score twice – once questionably, once clinically – to move to within a point of league leaders Liverpool.
The ability to strike swiftly is a hallmark of top teams. City, like Liverpool, can kill opponents off in quick bursts. They did so once again. The match reached the 45-minute mark with Southampton having recovered from the loss of an early goal and the deserving Rodriguez alike. Scores were level 1-1.
They went in at the break 3-1 down. The duo responsible for their opener combined, Edin Dzeko back-heeling a flick from Yaya Toure's pass into the path of David Silva. The Spaniard was a couple of yards offside but the officials did not notice and City did not mind – he slotted the ball to Samir Nasri, who found the net.
“You couldn’t imagine what I was thinking,” said an angry Mauricio Pochettino. “It was clearly two metres offside. It was the type of game that you play at school where you get those dumb refereeing decisions.”
Then, with Southampton’s players as aggrieved as their manager by the injustice, City were at their most ruthless. Nasri wandered infield, allowing Aleksandar Kolarov to overlap outside him. He found the Serb, who crossed for his friend Dzeko to head in.
It rendered the second half irrelevant. For the record, City scored a fourth – just the second goal for Stevan Jovetic in a stop-start spell in the Premier League – from Jesus Navas’s cross. Toure also hit the post and Alvaro Negredo’s goal drought was extended to 12 games when Southampton goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga blocked the Spaniard’s shot.
City finished with a flourish and started quickly. They were ahead inside three minutes. Toure converted his 22nd goal of the season after Dzeko ran at Jose Fonte, who left his back leg trailing and the Bosnian made sure he tripped over it. “I think those two decisions killed the game, that penalty we conceded and the second goal,” said Pochettino.
Yet, as both managers said, Southampton responded. While Nasri’s free kick was headed against the top of the bar by Dzeko, the visitors were the more coherent. “The only positive I can think of is for the first 45 minutes we were superior to a team that is equipped to win the Premier League,” said Pochettino.
City’s Manuel Pellegrini concurred. “We didn’t play well in the first 45 minutes,” said the Chilean. “But in our worst moment, we scored three goals and I don’t remember many chances for Southampton, only an unnecessary penalty.”
It was one way of looking at it. Pablo Zabaleta made an injudicious challenge. Jack Cork was fouled and, for the second time, Chris Foy pointed to the spot. Rickie Lambert maintained his 100 per cent record from 12 yards for Southampton.
The focus, however, had long since shifted to another of Saints’ England contingent. Rodriguez had been the in-form English goalscorer in the country, having struck five times in his previous four games. Then his knee buckled awkwardly as he landed.
“It is not looking good for him or looking good for the team,” said Pochettino. “I can’t really know when I am going to see him again in a Southampton shirt.” Or, indeed, in an England shirt.
sports@thenational.ae
