Southampton, a team oozing with pride and confidence after back to back promotions with manager Nigel Adkins has seen them reach top flight football once again, but this trial may have come so far so soon. They take on the champions, Manchester City, at their own ground, the Etihad. It would be a suprise not to see City triumph here, but does fate have another card it wishes to play? Manager Roberto Mancini has been frustrated with the new policy denying him from making further additions to the team, but a settled side may deem formidable as players improve their rapport with one another.
Having written his name into the history books at the end of last season, Aguero started the new campaign with a moment that he will hope will not last so long in his memory.
The Argentine forward appeared to twist his knee under the sliding challenge of right-back Nathaniel Clyne – who cleanly won the ball – and, after one attempt to get back to his feet, left the Etihad Stadium on a stretcher.
Almost unnoticed amidst the worries of
Aguero, Southampton had settled into the game nicely, with Ward-Prowse
rushing forward with confidence from central midfield and Joleon Lescott
under scrutiny for a tackle on Rodriguez in the City box.Soon after Dzeko had replaced Aguero, Nasri flicked David Silva's pass into the path of Tevez, who spun past centre-back Jos Hooiveld into the box and was tripped by the Dutch defender's outstretched leg, leaving Howard Webb no choice but to point to the spot.
With Aguero withdrawn and other regular takers Mario Balotelli and James Milner on the bench, Silva had the chance to send City in front but his penalty was poorly struck and Kelvin Davis saved to his left.
Southampton found breaks forward more difficult to come by as the half wore on but defended resolutely, keeping Dzeko away from crosses aimed by full-backs Pablo Zabaleta and Gael Clichy.
Southampton were five minutes away from reaching the break with the deadlock intact when Nasri, allowed too much time and space in the visitors' half, picked out Tevez with a chipped pass that the Argentine scurried on to – just staying in line with Jose Fonte – and rifled past Kelvin Davis at the near post.
Southampton did make it to the break trailing by only a goal but the game was almost put to bed shortly after the restart. Nasri, perhaps only second to Tevez in influence exerted in the first half, fought off Clyne on the left-hand side before directing a low cross into the path of Dzeko, but the Bosnian failed to get proper contact on the ball from point blank range.
Adkins had seen enough, calling Lambert to the touchline in one of two moves that would turn the game on its head, but the striker was still waiting to replace Rodriguez when Silva passed up another golden opportunity. Tevez sped down the right and forced Kelvin Davis to parry his powerful cross before the Spaniard volleyed on to the crossbar after Nasri had controlled the rebound.
It took Lambert less time to find his range and make his mark on the top flight. Guiding a Southampton attack forward, the 30-year-old superbly steered home a precise shot from the edge of the box after Lescott had blocked his attempted through ball back into his path.
The Saints' second-half possession had hovered around the 20 per cent mark and from that point it seemed that preserving their point at all costs would be the order of the day but, once again, Adkins found a way to inspire his team from the bench.
The story, with City trailing 2-1, seemed a familiar one and it was to take a familiar next step. This time, it did not take as long for the man who gave the fans inside the Etihad Stadium back in May a shred of hope to find an equaliser. Vincent Kompany returned Nasri's corner to the penalty area with a low shot and after Toure had scrapped for the ball it fell for Dzeko to slam home.
Substitute Balotelli failed to convert a sublime low cross from Nasri as City searched for another dramatic third goal before Dzeko glanced a header narrowly wide.
Once Dzeko had equalised, a winner seemed almost inevitable and City found it with 10 minutes still to play. Clichy's cross from the left was poorly dealt with by his opposite number Danny Fox, with Nasri making no mistake after the defender had headed the ball directly into his path.
Fonte had one chance to grab a point as Southampton pressed for a late leveller but City held out to register their first points of the new campaign.
A promising game from the visitors as they gave city a real fight and more than likely frightened the home fans when they took the lead. But of course, this was the champions they were playing and City quickly rallied their men and began piling on the pressure once again, giving them another late drama come-back.
A good result for newly promoted Southampton and the champions scraped their first win of the campaign to defend their title as 'The champions of England.
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