[score][team1]Southampton [/team1][score1]1[/score1][team2]Manchester City[/team2][score2]3[/score2][/score]Manchester City warmed up for Thursday's pivotal Premier League battle with Liverpool by coasting past 10-man Southampton 3-1 at St Mary's. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg fired a fine first-half goal for Saints, only to be sent off late on for a two-footed tackle. City hit back from defeats to Crystal Palace and Leicester with ease, reclaiming second place and cutting Liverpool's Premier League lead to seven points. Riyad Mahrez fired wide after a fine field-length City move, then McCarthy produced another fine reaction stop, this time from Aguero. Sterling drew another close-range save from McCarthy as City resumed brightly, though this time the Saints keeper deflected the ball with his head.

Source: Evening echo December 30, 2018 16:30 UTC