The Upcoming
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Cinema
      • Movie reviews
      • Film festivals
    • Food & Drinks
      • News & Features
      • Restaurant & bar reviews
      • Interviews & Recipes
    • Literature
    • Music
      • Live music
    • Theatre
    • Shows & On demand
  • Fashion & Lifestyle
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
  • What’s On
    • Art exhibitions
    • Theatre shows
  • Tickets
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Fund us
    • Contact us
  • Interviews
  • Competitions
  • Special events
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Cannes
      • Sundance London
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • Tumblr

  • RSS


New-boys Southampton give defending Champions a scare

New-boys Southampton give defending Champions a scare
20 August 2012
Raphael Salama
Avatar
Raphael Salama
20 August 2012
Manchester City 3-2 Southampton
 
Defending Premier-League champions Manchester City won a thrilling match 3- 2 at the Etihad Stadium against a Southampton side who showed that they mean business in the Premier League.
 
Fans were treated to a superb game which sizzled before Tevez broke the deadlock only for new-boys Southampton to rally, taking the lead through goals from Lambert and Davis. City then showed the maturity of champions, with Dzeko squeezing his strike in to level the scores, before Nasri secured the victory with a goal in the 80th minute.
 
The sweetness of the victory was slightly soured by a knee injury to Aguero a mere 13 minutes into the match which is rumoured to be cruciate damage however the Argentine tweeted to ease worries, saying that there’s ‘no significant injury’.
 
The game began in a racy manner, with both sides looking as though they could threaten. Yet it was the champions who began to show their class, slowly starting to ramp up the pressure on the Saints. They wasted an early chance as David Silva, who had a poor game overall, squandered a penalty kick that had been given after Hooiveld brought down Tevez. This did not halt City’s momentum and they finally made the breakthrough when Tevez latched on to a slick pass from Nasri to cooly finish.
 
At the beginning of the second half City had a host of chances which they really should have buried but the Saints soaked up all that pressure and responded in a very impressive manner. Rickie Lambert, who could count himself unfortunate to not have been handed a place in the starting line up, came on from the bench and powered home past Hart to stun the home crowd. Saints’ fans jubilation was turned into pandemonium when Davis, another inspired substitute, who with practically his first touch pounced on a lay off to drill the ball into the rippling net.
 
City then had to show that they had the class to break down a team with 11 men behind the ball. Southampton began to slowly tire and City were on hand to capitalise. They began to dominate, and Dzeko converted that pressure into a goal when he reacted to a ball that was ricocheted inside the penalty box. Only 8 minutes later, Clichy delivered the left hand side and after a misjudged clearing header the ball landed at the feet of Nasri who happily punished the mistake.
 
City’s fans will be greatly relieved to have started their campaign with a win after Southampton showed that they were not going to be going to a final warm-up match after many thought that this game would be a massacre. Saints’ fans can take great heart from their performance however they will know that despite a heroic performance, they will be disappointed not to have taken a miraculous point back to the South Coast.
 
Raphael Salama, football correspondent
Related Items

More in

Project Gastronomía: How will Londoners eat in 2015? A symposium on gastronomy and multisensory design

Daniel Amir
Read More

Tribeca Film Festival 2018: On the red carpet with the stars of Westworld season 2

The editorial unit
Read More

Bat Out of Hell at the Dominion Theatre

★★★★★
Laura Ewing
Read More

Hinds at Electric Brixton

★★★★★
Jake Cudsi
Read More

Faceless

★★★★★
Cristiana Ferrauti
Read More

Half Breed

★★★★★
Bev Lung
Read More

Education, Education, Education at Shoreditch Town Hall

★★★★★
Catherine Sedgwick
Read More

Gregory Porter at the Royal Albert Hall

★★★★★
Ed Edwards
Read More

Chicago at Phoenix Theatre

★★★★★
Jim Compton-Hall
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap

Tickets

Theatre tickets

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • Hide in Mayfair: Dabbous raises the bar of informal fine dining with his new restaurant
    ★★★★★
    Food & Drinks
  • Gregory Porter at the Royal Albert Hall
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • The Vaccines and Whenyoung at Alexandra Palace
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Bat Out of Hell at the Dominion Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Project Gastronomía: How will Londoners eat in 2015? A symposium on gastronomy and multisensory design
    Food & Drinks
  • Tribeca Film Festival 2018: On the red carpet with the stars of Westworld season 2
    Cinema
  • Bat Out of Hell at the Dominion Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Hinds at Electric Brixton
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Faceless
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Bat Out of Hell at the Dominion Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Hinds at Electric Brixton
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Half Breed
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Education, Education, Education at Shoreditch Town Hall
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Gregory Porter at the Royal Albert Hall
    ★★★★★
    Live music

Instagram

Something is wrong. Response takes too long or there is JS error. Press Ctrl+Shift+J or Cmd+Shift+J on a Mac.
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Fund us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • New London restaurant openings and pop-ups
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Subscribe
  • What, when, why

Copyright © 2018 FL Media Ltd