Despite a resounding 4-1 victory at the weekend, Southampton face a near impossible task as they travel to the Etihad Stadium to tackle the might of Manchester City.
The Premier League leaders are undefeated in all competitions this season, and come into Wednesday’s match off the back of a gritty 2-1 win over ten-man Huddersfield at the weekend.
Southampton picked up their first win in four matches and found their shooting boots against Everton, but a rampant City are a different challenge entirely.
| Game | Manchester City vs Southampton |
| Date | Wednesday, November 29 |
| Time | 20:00 GMT / 15:00 ET |
TV CHANNEL & LIVE STREAM
In the UK, the match will not be available to watch live on television or by stream.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| None | None |
In the US, the match will be available to watch live on NBCSN, and can be watched by stream via NBC Sports Gold.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| NBCSN | NBC Sports Gold |
SQUADS & TEAM NEWS
| Position | Man City players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Ederson, Bravo, Grimshaw |
| Defenders | Kompany, Mangala, Otamendi, Adarabioyo, Walker, Danilo |
| Midfielders | B. Silva, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Delph, Sane, D. Silva, Fernandinho, Zinchenko, Toure, Diaz, Foden |
| Forwards | Sterling, Aguero, Jesus |
The side that won against Huddersfield looks likely to remain much the same on Wednesday night, with Man City boss Pep Guardiola declaring his team have recovered well from the match.
Guardiola took the time to praise the training efforts of the players who did miss out at the weekend, which may signal the likes of Ilkay Gundogan could be in line for a start.
Potential starting XI: Ederson; Walker, Kompany, Otamendi, Delph; De Bruyne, Fernandinho, Gundogan; Sterling, Aguero, Sane.
| Position | Southampton players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Forster, Taylor, McCarthy |
| Defenders | Cedric, Yoshida, Hoedt, Pied, Stephens, Bertrand, Caceres, Van Dijk, Bednarek |
| Midfielders | Davis, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Lemina, Boufal, Redmond, Hojbjerg, McQueen, Tadic, Pied |
| Forwards | Long, Austin, Gabbiadini |
Mario Lemina managed 12 minutes at the weekend as he continues to rebuild his fitness following a return from injury, while Oriol Romeu has served his one-match suspension and is available for Wednesday night’s match.
Southampton boast a virtually full-strength squad, however, alterations may come down to potential changes in the way coach Mauricio Pellegrino wants to play against Manchester City. Five at the back would potentially open the door for the introduction of Yoshida.
Potential starting XI: Forster; Soares, Van Dijk, Hoedt, Bertrand; Hojberg, Romeu, Ward-Prose, Tadic, Boufal; Austin.
BETTING & MATCH ODDS
Man City are 1/5 to coast to victory on Wednesday night, according to dabblebet. Southampton’s monumental task sees them sit all the way out at 14/1, while the draw is 11/2.
Sergio Aguero has nine goals from just over 600 minutes of football this season, and is just 2/1 to score first. Fellow South American striker Gabriel Jesus is 11/5, while a Man City win to nil is 17/20.
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GAME PREVIEW
Manchester City are currently 18 games unbeaten in all competitions, and have shown this season that they’re capable of winning big and winning gritty. It’s been nearly a year since City lost at home – you have to go back to December 3 2016 for a 3-1 defeat to Chelsea.
Eight points clear at the top of the Premier League after only 13 games, City could just about have the title wrapped up by Christmas if their current form continues.
The ability to brush sides away has become a staple part of City this season, but it’s the players in the middle of the park who are making the difference. Kevin De Bruyne is in career best form, while David Silva remains City’s unsung hero with 10 assists so far this season.
In the midst of a run of three matches in eight days, some rotation may be necessary for Mauricio Pellegrino’s side as he potentially looks toward the trip to Bournemouth as a more winnable fixture.
Pellegrino has acknowledged his side are in for a tough game, but did concede ‘nobody is unbeatable’. City’s recent record suggests otherwise, and it will take a miracle for the Saints to take all three points back to the south coast.
If Southampton do manage to nab a win, however, they could move up one position into ninth and potentially nine points clear of the drop. City will remain first, regardless of the result.