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Pep Guardiola has an extremely fond memory of St Mary’s Stadium. It was here on the final day of the 2017-18 season that he watched Gabriel Jesus score a stoppage-time winner to ensure Manchester City finished as the Premier League champions with a record 100-point haul. It was a number at the opposite end of the spectrum that provided a prominent subplot this time.
Southampton kicked off on 11 points, level with the lowest haul in the competition – that collected with apologies by Derby in 2007-08. Could Southampton, who had suffered so much, get something to lift them clear of the unwanted association?
The chances had felt slim at kick-off time, particularly with Erling Haaland back in the City lineup after a six-week ankle injury lay-off. But the answer was a stirring yes. After a performance of discipline and burgeoning resilience, it was a scoreless draw and the ground was rocking.
City may have had one eye on next Saturday’s FA Cup final against Crystal Palace. But they still wanted a win to pull them level on points with Arsenal in second place, albeit with an inferior goal difference before the Arsenal’s trip to Liverpool on Sunday. They wanted to win a fifth league game in a row for the first time this season.
It did not happen, City dreadfully flat in the first half and stirring too late, the closest they came during a flurry towards the end a blast by the substitute Omar Marmoush that came back off the crossbar.
It was a day when the battle lines were drawn at the very outset. Simon Rusk’s 5-4-1 system was designed to do exactly what it said on the tactics board while City gorged themselves on possession and territory. From the first whistle, they appeared determined to pass their opponents to death.
The Southampton fans had turned up braced for something bad; mindful City had recovered some of the old certainties in recent weeks. But the first half simply drifted by, the tempo low in the sunshine, any intensity wholly absent. The City support amused themselves by running through their back catalogue, plenty taunting Manchester United.
City worked their patterns, coming this way, then that. Repeat and repeat. It was hard to remember anyone in sky blue beating his man before the interval. Very little happened, apart from Kevin De Bruyne popping one free-kick over the crossbar and another into the wall.
Lesley Ugochukwu, on a yellow card for a foul on Mateo Kovacic, diced with disaster when he stopped City from taking a quick free-kick just before half-time. He could have been sent off. Perhaps the referee, Tim Robinson, was lulled by the apathy. There have probably been duller halves this season. It was just difficult to say which ones.
Guardiola introduced Jérémy Doku for James McAtee at the start of the second half and it was easy to imagine him reminding his players that they were mistaken if they thought they could just turn up and roll Southampton over. It is not the way in England’s top division.
There was more life after the break, the home fans incensed when Robinson penalised Tyler Dibling for a foul on Josko Gvardiol when it appeared that the Southampton winger had got past his marker. There would be a flare-up between Jan Bednarek and Haaland.
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Doku made a difference. It was his cut-back that offered Bernardo Silva a chance, Jack Stephens just about clearing the City player’s shot up and over his own crossbar. Doku nearly fed Haaland on a City counter. And it was a genuine counter because Southampton were able to make a few forays upfield.
City turned the screw in the closing stages. The chances started to come. Manuel Akanji had a header pushed out by Aaron Ramsdale while Haaland put a square ball just behind the onrushing substitute, Nico O’Reilly. Another replacement, Savinho, could not get a Haaland header to sit down for him while Rúben Dias extended Ramsdale.
Southampton put their bodies on the lines. Their fans increasingly lived on the end of their nerves. It felt as though City were lining up the decisive blow but when Marmoush shot against the crossbar at the beginning of stoppage time that would be that for them.
In the sixth of the seven added on, yet another replacement, Cameron Archer, threatened the heist at the other end. Ederson had his angles covered but it did nothing to douse the Southampton celebrations.
