Ranking Manchester City's 5 best players against Southampton in the Premier League
On matchday five of the ongoing Premier League season, Manchester City were held to a 0-0 draw by Southampton. Referee Jonathan Moss' decisions were major talking points. A controversial u-turn on Kyle Walker's red card and penalty decision made headlines in what was supposed to be a comfortable fixture for the Cityzens.
Ralph Hasenhüttl's Southampton did extremely well to keep Pep Guardiola's side at bay. The manager's intent to field a practical defense that was capable of organizing itself frequently during transitions did wonders.
On that note, let's take a look at:
Manchester City's 5 best players against Southampton
#5 Kevin De Bruyne
Manchester City's #17, Kevin De Bruyne, has often been tasked with the responsibility of unlocking defenses and more often than not, the Belgian has delivered. He found himself in the midst of action in the sixty-fifth minute when he came on for Fernandinho.
In 25 minutes of action, he looked sharp and composed as ever as City kept knocking on the door and he continued to whip in his trademark crosses. It was a performance that saw him enter the list of top players to play in this fixture.
His fruitless performance today was an indication of City's desperate need for a top quality centre-forward in their ranks.
"I always like to assist more than scoring. It gives me another feeling that I cannot explain."
- Kevin De Bruyne https://t.co/qprEFQEkLr
#4 Nathan Aké
Nathan Aké, a £41 million acquisition from the season before will find himself fortunate enough to get minutes in the league considering the range of stars available to Pep Guardiola. It could be another story of a career revival, similar to that of England international John Stones last season.
During the fixture against Southampton, Aké cut a calm and composed figure across the ninety minutes as he was picked to start alongside centre-half mainstay Ruben Dias. Having started twice in four days for Manchester City, he will gain confidence to his game with today's clean sheet.
Nathan Ake paid tribute to his dad, who died from an unspecified illness just minutes after Ake scored his first Champions League goal for Manchester City 🙏 https://t.co/9krp2KjkmA