Manchester City heads to the south coast to take on Southampton this weekend. After picking up what many are calling a decisive victory over Chelsea last weekend, City seems like Premier League champions-elect at this point. Pep Guardiola’s men have gone on an incredible twelve-match winning streak that has propelled them to the top of the table by some eleven points.
This twelve-match winning streak the Citizens find themselves on is even more impressive when you take on the aggregate score line of those matches. 34-7. Since losing to Crystal Palace in October, they have picked up 36 points, thirteen more than any other team in the division.
Despite escaping the Etihad with a 0-0 draw earlier this season, Southampton is the definition of a long shot. They have not avoided defeat in a Premier League season against the Sky Blues for over 20 years.
The Saints are on one of their best stretches of home turf form in quite some time. Ralph Hasenhüttl’s men have remained undefeated in their last seven home matches in the league.
If they can make it eight, it’d be a minor miracle.
Southampton vs Manchester City FYIs:
Kick-off time: 5.30 PM GMT, 22nd January 2022
Starting XI Prediction: go here
Premier League Podcast: go here
Form Guide (All Competitions): Southampton (WDWWL) Man City (WWWWW)
Let’s look at the team news for the rampaging, defending Premier League champions as we head into this match.
Riyad Mahrez is unavailable for selection in this match. The Algerian superstar is currently away on international duty. His national side faces a make-or-break clash with Ivory Coast in their final group stage match to determine if they will qualify for the knockout phase of AFCON.
18-year-old Liam Delap is available for first-team duties for the first time this season. After bursting onto the scene in the Carabao Cup in 2020, Pep Guardiola had hoped to use him more often this season after the departure of Sergio Aguero.
It hasn’t panned out that way for the youngster but he may find himself in the mix for some first-team action this weekend.
Ukrainian left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko and Dutch center-back Nathan Ake are both uncertain to make the squad against the Saints. They are both officially listed as ‘currently being assessed’.
We will know more about their conditions when Guardiola speaks to the press in his pre-match press conference.
It almost doesn’t matter who lines up in a City shirt this weekend. I can’t see anything other than them taking home all three points. As I predicted on the After Extra Time podcast 9-0 to the champions-elect.