Southampton are back in Premier League action against Manchester City at St Mary’s Stadium on Sunday. Get ready for the game with our Match Pack, in association with eToro...
THE MATCH
Southampton vs Man City
St Mary’s Stadium
Sunday 5th July, 7pm BST
THE OFFICIALS
Referee: Andre Mariner
Assistants: Simon long, Harry Lennard
Fourth official: Keith Stroud
VAR: Andy Madley
Assistant VAR: Stephen Child
HOW TO WATCH
Sunday’s showdown will be shown live on BBC One (101), with the match also available on BBC One HD (115).
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Both sides will head into the match off the back of impressive victories, with Saints returning home after a 3-1 win at Watford and Man City heading south following a 4-0 demolition of newly crowned champions Liverpool.
Having reached the sought after 40-point mark at Vicarage Road last weekend, Ralph Hasenhüttl’s side will now look to continue their ascent up the table while addressing their troublesome home form.
For City, they’ll be looking to finish their remaining games strongly in order to build some momentum heading into next season, where they’ll bid to take back their Premier League crown.
TEAM NEWS
Saints will be boosted by the return of both Moussa Djenepo and Jack Stephens from suspension.
The latter’s availability may prove to be important as the manager confirmed Jannik Vestergaard will be absent due to a muscle injury.
Yan Valery and Nathan Tella are also set to miss out, joining Sofiane Boufal and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg on the sidelines.
For the visitors, Sergio Agüero is the only injury absentee, although Pep Guardiola is likely to rotate his squad after Thursday's top of the table clash with Liverpool.
FORM GUIDE
Southampton:
Watford (a) 3-1 (Ings 2, Ward-Prowse)
Arsenal (h) 0-2
Norwich City (a) 3-0 (Ings, Armstrong, Redmond)
Newcastle United (h) 0-1
West Ham (a) 1-3 (Obafemi)
Man City:
Liverpool (h) 4-0 (De Bruyne, Sterling, Foden, Oxlade Chamberlain OG)
Newcastle United (a) 2-0 (De Bruyne, Sterling) FA Cup
Chelsea (a) 1-2 (De Bruyne)
Burnley (h) 5-0 (Foden 2, Mahrez 2, Silva)
Arsenal (h) 3-0 (Sterling, De Bruyne, Foden)
THE MANAGERS
Ralph Hasenhüttl: "Fear is not a good partner – you need to have bravery and respect, yes, but also belief in what you’re doing.
“Even then, it’s about knowing that you have to invest more than the opponent does. If you run the same, sprint the same and fight the same, you will be second.
“If you do it more than the opponent, you have a chance to get a surprising result.”
Pep Guardiola: To follow.
ONES TO WATCH
Danny Ings: With a nomination for Premier League Player of the Month, it’s impossible to look past Ings this weekend.
With three goals in as many matches since the restart, the striker has played a pivotal role in helping Saints to two victories from their three matches so far.
Just one goal behind Jamie Vardy and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the race for the Golden Boot, Ings will be hunting for more success in front of goal on Sunday.
Kevin De Bruyne: Always a top performer for City, the Belgian has carried on where he left off following the restart.
With four goals in five matches and a string of impressive performances, De Bruyne will be the key man for Saints to track.
TOP PERFORMERS
Southampton:
Goals:
Danny Ings 21
Nathan Redmond 5
James Ward-Prowse 5
Assists:
James Ward-Prowse 5
Ché Adams 4
Shane Long 4
Man City:
Goals:
Sergio Agüero 23
Raheem Sterling 23
Gabriel Jesus 18
Assists:
Kevin De Bruyne 20
Riyad Mahrez 15
Gabriel Jesus 11
HEAD TO HEAD
Played 92
Saints 31
Draw 25
Man City 36
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
November 2019: Man City 2-1 Saints (Ward-Prowse)
October 2019: Man City 3-1 Saints (Stephens) Carabao Cup
December 2018: Saints 1-3 Man City (Højbjerg)
November 2018: Man City 6-1 Saints (Ings)
May 2018: Saints 0-1 Man City
DID YOU KNOW?
- None of Southampton’s last 12 Premier League games have ended level, with Saints winning six and losing six. Just four of Southampton’s Premier League games have ended level this season, the fewest of any side outside the top two.
- Southampton’s Danny Ings has scored the opening goal in eight different Premier League games this season, more than any other player.
KEEP UP TO DATE
We have you covered! Across our channels we’ll bring you all the action, as well as a host of behind-the-scenes access.
Check out our interactive match centre at southamptonfc.com, with all of the live in-game updates and free audio commentary of the match, and be sure to follow us on social media for further updates and exclusive content:
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