Three things learnt as Manchester City’s second-half display swept past Southampton

Add as preferred source on Google

Southampton need to invest in their defence

With Southampton’s season petering out into mid-table mediocrity it might not have been the most surprising result that Manchester City ran out comfortable winners on Saturday.

Yet no football team wants to lose a match, and despite competing well in the first-half of the match the Saints’ defence seems to be lacking the strength in depth and the quality needed to compete for European places in the Premier League, and compete against the Premier League’s best sides.

With Virgil van Dijk’s future still up in the air and Jack Stephens still adjusting to his first season in the top flight, there’s a lot of work to be done on making this Southampton team solid at the back.

With seven matches still to play this season they’ve already conceded 40 goals – only one less than they conceded in the whole of last season on their way to finishing in sixth – and it’s becoming clear that the problem lies in their own half of the field as there’s a lack of discipline and leadership.

If Van Dijk does leave, then Claude Puel needs to invest in a born leader to take charge of the Southampton back four; they need that Vincent Kompany-esque figure to stop leaking easy goals.

Featured Image: All rights reserved by Christine Sanjaya.