Man City take top spot with 3-1 win over Southampton

Kevin de Bruyne pulled the strings as Manchester City got back to winning ways and went top of the league with a 3-1 victory over Southampton, with Fabian Delph, Aleksandar Kolarov and De Bruyne himself on the score-sheet.

Intent to make amends for last weekend’s home humiliation at the hands of Liverpool, City exploded out of the blocks and opened Southampton up time and again in a superb start to the game. The opening goal when it came was courtesy of a Maya Yoshida error, with the right-back giving the ball away to Raheem Sterling, allowing the winger a clean run into the box. Sterling did the rest, drawing in the centre-backs and teeing up De Bruyne for a close-range finish.

Delph made it 2-0 a little over 10 minutes later, drilling a shot from outside the box after being teed up by De Bruyne and finding the back of the net thanks to a big deflection off Virgil van Dijk. Van Dijk almost made amends in spectacular fashion moments later, crashing a thunderbolt of a shot off the crossbar, but that was the closest that the Saints came in a disappointing first half.

It could have been worse for the visitors, who had Maarten Stekelenburg to thank for a couple of terrific saves to deny first Kolarov and then Sergio Aguero, while Steven Davis got away with a handball on the line in the build-up to Delph’s goal which could easily have result in a red card for the Northern Ireland international midfielder.

Southampton were much-improved in the second half and pulled one back when Shane Long’s towering header made the most of Mane’s excellent cross, but a double save at a crucial moment by stand-in keeper Willy Caballero protected City’s lead. Kolarov secured the win for City when he finished off a flowing passing move by drilling in a shot across the keeper – assisted again by De Bruyne – and even though Southampton pushed hard for a late comeback the best of the remaining chances fell to the home side.

The Saints can chalk this one off as a lesson learned, while for City it is a welcome return to winning ways at the end of a tricky week and puts them top of the table ahead of Leicester City's match with Manchester United.

9’ – GOAL! Kevin de Bruyne opens the scoring for Manchester City, poking home from close range after Sterling won the ball on the left, burst into the box and put it on a plate for the Belgian.

12’ – SAVE – Southampton very nearly gift City a second. The ball is needlessly given away in central midfield and Aguero is played clean through on goal, but Stekelenburg comes flying off his line to make a great save.

20’ – GOAL! Fabian Delph scores, courtesy of a massive deflection off the heel of Van Dijk. 2-0 City.

22’ – POST – Van Dijk very nearly makes amends in spectacular fashion. The centre-back finds himself on the ball in the final third for some unspecified reason, but he takes advantage with a beautiful turn and a thunderous strike that crashes against the crossbar. What a strike!

49’ – GOAL! Shane Long pulls one back for Southampton, rising high at the back post to nod home Mane's cross. 2-1!

61’ – SAVE – Tadic bursts clean through on goal, but tries to dink his shot over the keeper, who makes the save. Long follows up with a decent effort of his own, but Caballero is straight back to his feet to make a second strong stop.

69’ – GOAL! Kolarov drills a shot into the far corner to finish off a brilliant passing move by City. 3-1!

Kevin De Bruyne got two assists to move onto 16 league assists in 2015, the most of all the players in the big five leagues - Mesut Ozil has 14.

Have City recovered? It’s not been an easy week for Manuel Pellegrini’s side, but their performance today must have gone some way to dispelling any doubts over the title credentials. City were excellent going forward and that will only get better with David Silva back available, but the return of Vincent Kompany and Joe Hart can’t come soon enough to sure up their shabby defence. A better team than Southampton would have made City pay severely for some of their defending today.

Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City): The impact of De Bruyne at City has been a huge help to their attack, offering pace out wide and extra creativity in behind the striker – particularly in recent weeks when David Silva was out. He was at his scintillating best again in this game, pulling the Southampton defence out of shape and playing a number of brilliant through-balls that didn’t receive the finishes they deserved. Even with his team’s wastefulness De Bruyne still had a massive impact, opening the scoring and teeing up Kolarov and Delph. That’s what you want your match-winners to do and the Belgian is delivering week in week out.

Man City: Caballero 8; Sagna 7, Demichelis 7, Otamendi 7, Kolarov 8; Fernandinho 7, Delph 8; Toure 7, De Bruyne 9, Sterling 7; Aguero 7. Subs: Bony 6, Fernando 6, Silva 6.

Southampton: Stekelenburg 8; Yoshida 5, Van Dijk 6, Fonte 6, Bertrand 6; Romeu 5, Wanyama 7; Ward-Prowse 6, S. Davis 5, Mane 7; Long 7. Subs: Caulker 6, Tadic 6, Juanmi 5.