Match Report

IBO Reporter : channonite

God, it's hard work reporting on Saints so far this season and this was one of the hardest of the lot to watch. Now, I don't think any of us really expected to get anything at all from this game, but this abject performance was almost too much to take. I had sympathy from a local Manchester City fan, saying that at least we gave it a go and at least we scored, which was only the fourth goal City have conceded this season. Is there anything worse than sympathy like this??

The thing that really depressed me was a table showing all the managers Saints have had in the Premier League and that showed that Mark Hughes has the lowest win ratio of the lot and there are some pretty bloody dreadful managers in that list. Yes, he is even worse than the basket case he replaced - the unloved Mauricio Pellegrino!

Once again Hughes took ten random players to wander around in front of McCarthy. At least that is what it looked like. Once again he had a back four of Cédric, Stephens, Hoedt and Bertrand. In midfield there was Ward-Prowse, Lemina and Højbjerg, with Redmond, Ings and Long as this weeks roll of the dice. On the bench, probably praying that they wouldn't be asked to play, were Yoshida, Vestergaard, Austin, Elyounoussi, Armstrong, Gunn and from the U23's, Obafemi.

In the post-match interview Hughes probably rightly observed that: "This game is not going to define our season ", but then went on to say: "It’s difficult when you are down against them. You can’t overcommit, because Manchester City have the ability to run over the top of you and then it gets even more embarrassing. " Yet that is exactly what happened, right from the start City ran all over Saints. and we just looked embarrassingly static.

Saints had warning of what was going to happen when City came at them with pace right from the start and the players in red and white looked at least half a yard slower.

We didn't have long to wait for the first goal, as on six minutes, Sané squared the ball across the face of the Saints goal and there was Hoedt to turn the ball into his own net. 1-0

The next goal came six minutes later (the number '6' figures a lot in this report) when Sterling got to the byline and simply pulled the ball back for the onrushing Agüero to slam the ball past McCarthy. 2-0

Then, six minutes later (that number 6 again) the ball was worked wide left for Silva to volley the ball past a static looking Saints defence. 3-0

Amazingly, Saints started to play a bit of football themselves and there was Danny Ings ghosting into the penalty area, to be brought down by Ederson, who had merely been an interested spectator up to that point. The referee, Lee Mason did not hesitate and pointed to the spot. Ings took the penalty himself and made it look easy, sending Ederson the wrong way. 3-1 That was as good as it got.

Although that was the scoring for the first half, the home crowd were clearly laughing at some of the complicated build up play by their team towards the end of the half and it seemed like the City players were competing to score the most elaborate goal. Yes, they were toying with Saints and it was horrible to watch.

We got to half-time with the score only 3-1, yet you just knew that wasn't going to be the end of it.

Almost right from the kickoff City were at Saints throats again. Agüero, after some superb play, knocked the ball back to Sterling who, seemingly with all the time in the world, made it 4-1. Saints looked shell-shocked.

There was then a let-off as a shot from Sané hit the bar, but this was only putting off the inevitable, as in the 67th minute Agüero sent Sterling through to place the ball beyond McCarthy to make it 5-1

This seemed to stir Hughes into some sort of action as shortly after he made a double substitution, taking off Ward-Prowse and Redmond and sending on Elyounoussi and the youngster, Obafemi. The final sub was putting Armstrong on for goal scorer Danny Ings.

The final goal didn't arrive until the 91st minute, when Sané finally got on the score sheet himself, when a seemingly tame shot managed to evade three Saints defenders and McCarthy to make it 6-1.

That was that and Saints now look forward to a home match at St.Mary's against Watford next weekend.