Premier League: Manchester City beats Southampton 3-1
The HinduManchester City returned to winning ways ahead of its blockbuster showdown against Premier League leader Liverpool with a 3-1 win at Southampton. The defending champion ceded ground to Jurgen Klopp's side with back-to-back defeats versus Crystal Palace and Leicester City, and it once again let an early lead slip as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – later sent off for a reckless lunge on Fernandinho – cancelled out David Silva's 10th-minute opener. RELATED| MATCH CENTRE A James Ward-Prowse own-goal on the stroke of half-time, moments after the Southampton midfielder had penalty claims rejected, and Sergio Aguero's injury-time header steadied City nerves before the break. Mahrez and Sergio Aguero both went close to doubling City's advantage but, after Ederson brilliantly kept out an Austin header, makeshift left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko carelessly gave away possession in the 37th minute and Hojbjerg clattered home emphatically. Danilo adds sharpness to City Benjamin Mendy's knee injury and Fabian Delph's red card at Leicester necessitated Zinchenko's latest free-form interpretation of the left-back role, but right-back has also been a problem for City of late, with Kyle Walker turning in a succession of tired performances.