Southampton Reintroduce Themselves to the Premier League in Thrilling Loss to City

Newly promoted Southampton travelled to the Etihad Stadium expecting very little from their opening day clash with the Premier League champions. While they ultimately left with no points to show for their efforts, the Saints will take great heart from a second half that saw them strike two goals past Joe Hart in ten exhilarating minutes.

The first of the day’s surprises came from the Southampton team sheet, with Nigel Adkins starting Guly do Prado ahead of talisman Rickie Lambert, and handing a league debut to 17 year-old James Ward-Prowse who accompanied Schneiderlin and Lallana in a central midfield three. Adkins later justified his decision to start the enigmatic Brazilian as a strategy to save his Lambert’s energy for the vital latter stages where he might find more space, and that he did, but not before Southampton’s starting eleven were pinned back in their own half for the majority of the first period.

The home side’s best opening arrived in the sixteenth minute when some slick city build-up play coaxed Hooiveld into a mistimed tackle on Tevez in the area, but Kelvin Davis kept out Silva’s tame penalty. Minutes later Tevez found himself with time and space in the box but Davis easily dealt with his shot.

Just as it was beginning to look like the Saints’ luck might just hold out until half-time, they were undone by some clinical attacking play by the champions. Nasri was afforded Championship-level time on the ball and his threaded pass was given a Premiership-level finish by Tevez whose accurate shot beat Davis at his near post. There were hints of offside, but Southampton could hardly argue that City didn’t deserve their half-time lead.

Given the one-sided nature of the first half, Southampton’s task looked ever more mountainous as the second half started in a similar vein; Silva struck the crossbar while Guly, Puncheon and Rodriguez struggled to make any inroads into the City half. That is until the first of Adkins’ substitutions when Rodriguez made way for last season’s Championship player of the year in the 55^th minute. Immediately Lambert’s range of passing and intricate link-up play with Lallana enabled Southampton some time on the ball, and a grasp on the match. Within three minutes of his introduction Ward-Prowse and Guly worked the ball to Lambert on the edge of the box, and the striker bent a superb first-time shot past Joe Hart to spark joyous celebrations from the Saints fans.

Back came City, winning a corner and forcing all eleven Saints players in the own penalty area, which makes the speed and precision of their counter-attack all the more impressive; Lallana anticipated Rodwell’s pass and his break to the halfway line was quickly supported by Steven Davis, another substitute. He returned the ball to Lallana in the box before brilliantly dispatching his captain’s lay-off into the far bottom corner.

The game was turned on its head and, with just twenty minutes remaining, the Saints might just have dared to dream of an improbable opening day scalp. The speed and ferocity of City’s response would surely determine the outcome, and sadly for Southampton the response was indeed swift. Within four minutes Southampton failed to deal with a corner and the ball eventually fell to Dzeko, who swept home from six yards. Given the circumstances of City’s final day triumph last season, a palpable sense of inevitability preceded their winning goal. With more than ten minutes still remaining, Danny Fox’s poor defensive header teed up Nasri who found the top corner and, just in case they had been in any doubt, Southampton fully understood the challenge they face this season.

The Premier League the Saints have rejoined is a very different animal to the one they left in 2005. The standards have been raised; the relegation battles will be harder fought and mistakes more readily seized upon. However, this Southampton Football Club is also unrecognisable from seven years ago. They have left Manchester with no points to add to their tally but their second half display will have left the league in little doubt that a new Southampton - with fresh enthusiasm, intent and impetus - have arrived.