MAN CITY 1, SOUTHAMPTON 1
Manchester City’s wobble continued as they were held at home by Southampton.
Though the point took City back to the top of the Barclays Premier League, it was a frustrating afternoon at the Etihad.
And after a fabulous start to the season, City have now failed to win in their last five competitive games.
They could have few complaints after the latest hiccup as they toiled against a well organised Saints side.
And looking back, visiting keeper Fraser Forster wasn’t exactly overworked.
City had to battle from behind after another defensive clanger handed Nathan Redmond a goal that gave Saint a first-half lead.
Substitute Kelechi Iheanacho earned a point with an equaliser early in the second period, but City were unable to conjure a winner.
It was almost one hour after the game that City manager Pep Guardiola finally emerged from the dressing room to do his first round of interviews.
And when he eventually appeared before the press, Guardiola denied he had kept the players locked in the dressing room.
“We spoke about nothing special, just the situation we find ourselves in,” he said.
Guardiola added he was not going to panic explaining: “I was a football player and know these things can happen.
“You can win 10 in a row, as we did, and not win in five. You have to accept that situation and discover why.”
Guardiola denied that mistakes are the sole reason for the winless run adding they didn’t rate many chances against Saints.
City made three changes from the side that started their Champions League game at Barcelona in midweek.
Pablo Zabaleta, Nicolas Otamendi and Nolito made way for Vincent Kompany, Leroy Sane and Sergio Aguero.
In the case of the injury-plagued Kompany, he was making his first start since April against Newcastle.
City again started with three central defenders, John Stones, Kompany and Aleksandar Kolarov.
It appeared as though both sides were suffering hangovers following midweek defeats in Europe as the game lacked a spark. Neither keeper had a shot to save in the opening quarter of the game.
City were punished for a defensive blunder after 27 minutes as Saints stole ahead.
Stones played a square pass across the back line to Kompany who had moved forward. Redmond anticipated what was happening and made an interception and race clear, rounding keeper Claudio Bravo to score his third goal of the season.
City were stung into a replay and thought they were on level terms within five minutes as Stones looked to have atoned for his defensive gaffe.
David Silva was fouled and from Kevin De Bruyne’s right wing free kick Stones volleyed in at the far post from three yards, but Aguero had strayed offside as he stretched to meet the ball before it reached the central defender.
Guardiola made a change at the break as De Bruyne was replaced by Iheanacho.
The move paid off as Iheanacho equalised within 10 minutes following a stunning move.
Fernandinho sprayed a 50-yard pass to Sane on the left. He squared the ball to Iheanacho who, from the six yards, glanced a near-post shot into the far corner for his fourth goal in his last seven games and in 10 games this season.
Iheanacho certainly enjoys playing against Saints as he scored twice against them in May.
City were denied a second goal with 21 minutes left when Forster made a great save low to his left to turn away a shot from Ilkay Gundogan. He then had to beat away an angled sjot from Silva.
Saints might have snatched the lead when Charlie Austin, free on the right of the box, saw his shot well parried by Bravo when you would have put your money on him finding the net.
City made their second switch with 12 minutes left as Kompany was replaced by Jesus Navas with Fernandinho dropping back into defence.
Nolito came on for Sane in the 90th minutes and, with five minutes of added time, City sensed they could still find a winner.
Saints have other ideas in the seven additional minutes when they defended resolutely as City ran out of ideas.