Manchester City inflict six-goal thumping on Southampton
Relive all the action from the Premier League clash at the Etihad
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Your support makes all the difference.Raheem Sterling scored twice and Sergio Aguero became the ninth player to reach 150 English Premier League goals as Manchester City powered back to the top of the standings by crushing Southampton 6-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
City needed only five minutes to take the lead with an own-goal from Wesley Hoedt following a neat move involving Aguero, David Silva and Leroy Sane.
Sterling laid on the second for Aguero six minutes later and it wasn't long before it was 3-0, Sterling chipping over a cross and the ball falling invitingly for Silva to lash home.
Southampton, without a victory in six league games, pulled a goal back in the 29th minute when Danny Ings was brought down in the box and picked himself up to stroke the penalty past goalkeeper Ederson.
City restored its three-goal cushion on the stroke of halftime with Aguero taking advantage of a mistake by Cedric Soares and crossing for Sterling to score his fifth league goal of the season.
Sterling added his second of the game midway through the second half before Sane completed the rout in stoppage time.
PA
Relive all the action below.
Manchester City 3-1 Southampton
45 minutes
Three minutes of added time to be played in the first half. Three minutes for Southampton to hold out. They've done well not to completely collapse here.
GOAL! Manchester City 4-1 Southampton (Sterling)
45+1 minutes
Unfortunately, they can't hold out. Sterling gets the goal his first half performance deserves. Aguero this time turns provider, and Sterling drills home to add a fourth.
That's it for the first half. A display of total dominance from the Premier League champions, who are on course to return to the top of the table in style. For Southampton, the second half will be a case of damage limitation.
Manchester City 4-1 Southampton
55 minutes
Southampton have had a couple of chances since the restart. Ings is twice denied by Ederson, who's had a busy start to the second half.
Manchester City 4-1 Southampton
61 minutes
Nearly a fifth goal for City. Aguero sets up Sane whose curling shot strikes the post.
GOAL! Manchester City 5-1 Southampton (Sterling)
67 minutes
Sterling gets his second of the game, slotting home from an angle having been played in by Aguero. It's been coming.
Manchester City 5-1 Southampton
78 minutes
City are cruising towards another emphatic victory. Southampton have made the second half more of a contest, but you get the feeling the hosts have hardly moved out of first gear.
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