Rampant City keeps up pressure
Print Edition
A TWO-GOAL sucker punch moments before halftime helped Manchester City beat Southampton 4-1 yesterday and keep the pressure on at the top of the English Premier League table, as Jay Rodriguez’s World Cup hopes were hit by a knee injury.
A Rickie Lambert penalty cancelled out Yaya Toure’s early goal from the spot, but late strikes to Samir Nasri and Edin Dzeko meant the 2011-12 champion went into the break with a two-goal lead, an advantage it extended through Stevan Jovetic with nine minutes left.
City moved to second place with 70 points, one behind Liverpool which plays West Ham United today.
Chelsea, with 69 points, can move past them both if it beats Stoke City later, although City has a match in hand on both its fellow title chasers.
The result was harsh on eighth-placed Southampton which was threatening going forward before it conceded the two quick goals after leading scorer Rodriguez fell awkwardly on his right leg, forcing him to leave on a stretcher and putting his outside hopes of making England manager Roy Hodgson’s World Cup 23-man squad in doubt.
“I don’t remember Joe Hart making an important save,” City manager Manuel Pellegrini told BT Sport. “They had possession but no real chances to score.
“Now we have an important game against Liverpool. We shall see what happens, there is a lot of time to prepare. I don’t think that game will decide the Premier League.”
Southampton found itself on the back foot immediately after Jose Fonte brought down striker Dzeko after three minutes, with Ivorian Toure converting his sixth penalty from six attempts this season for his 18th goal overall.
The City was nearly two up moments later when Saints goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga, in for the injured Artur Boruc, made a poor clearance that allowed the hosts to gain possession, giving Nasri the chance to hit a first-time shot inches wide of the post.
Southampton, one of this season’s surprise packages, slowly fought its way back into the match through its England core, with Rodriguez, Adam Lallana and Lambert, all pushing for a spot in Hodgson’s reckoning for Brazil, coming to the fore on the back of good wide play by Luke Shaw and Calum Chambers.
The Saints suffered a major blow after 23 minutes, however, when one-England-cap forward Rodriguez fell awkwardly on his right leg while attempting to control a high ball, forcing him to leave the pitch in obvious distress.
Then just before half-time, Frenchman Nasri sidefooted the ball home after Toure had released David Silva, despite suggestions the Spaniard was offside. In the fourth minute of added time owing to Rodriguez’s injury, Dzeko headed into an empty net after Gazzaniga missed Aleksandar Kolarov’s cross.
Lambert flashed a shot past Hart’s left post in the second half, but substitute Jovetic added a final flourish for City, scoring a simple goal after Jesus Navas’ cross evaded the poor Gazzaniga.
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