A dreary start to the game is over after fourteen minutes with a wonderful pass by Laporte; chest control by Foden and some predatory instincts from de Bruyne. With a 1-0 lead, the control and calm which was missing from the start and from most of Sunday's game against United shows its face again. Famous last words, as Southampton get a penalty, and equalise.
Around the half-hour mark Foden is fouled by the goalkeeper and denied a chance to score from a mistake. No penalty after the one that was awarded to Southampton. Is it me and my paranoid mind or are City being treated to one of the Premier League's - and their lackeys, the PGMOL - match-fixing campaigns? Who knows?
Five minutes later a sloppy pass from a sloppy Zinchenko nearly leads to a goal and Ferguson's famous "squeaky bum time". Alas, the Algerian who's on fire at the moment - anyone remember Shaw proposing to him last Sunday - scores from a wonderful curler and its time to breathe.
Towards the end, Gundogan is far from impressed with Jon Moss and he's starting to make me ill too. I wonder. Is he incompetent or is he corrupt. If the latter, then I feel sorry for him. Anyway, discussions about Mr Moss, his brethren and match-fixing, now appear moot as Gundogan scores a well worked goal. 3-1 and if the second half goes to plan it will be a nice three points to settle the nerves of the players.
As I wait for the second half, a post I read earlier today from jerrybulivant@footballisfixed came to my mind and here it is
"In the last 10 matches where Anthony Taylor has refereed #ManUtd in #PremierLeague he has given them a penalty in 7 of the games (including two second minute spot kicks)
He has also given #ManchesterUnited a penalty in each of his appearances in #ManchesterDerby matches
#MCIMUN
Food for thought. If Jesus hadn't made such a colossal error and made it so easy for him....?
Anyway, its now the second half and I can forget about "conspiracy theory's" for the time being. First couple of minutes they look good: passing and moving with aplomb. Its a ten minute seige on the Southampton goal and it ends with another curler from the much derided "Viktor Navorski".
Whilst I'm typing away Southampton score another and then City score another. 5-2 and there's probably more to come and that's a credit to Southampton who've shown bravery and a bit of skill. I drifted off for a bit and upon my return to the present, City are on the prowl again and then the old fox himself, makes an appearance. Nice to see him again.
Bloody hell! Mendy's now on for the last ten minutes. Didn't see much of both of them for a surprisingly open period of football. Tell a lie: a nice pass from Foden to Aguero and we see that all familiar pose as he settles to strike the ball, and he does but the goalie makes a decent save.
That's it. Three points and a fourteen point lead over our nearest and dearest "rivals". Could have been grim at 1-1 but it wasn't. On to Fulham, another three points and another dagger in the heart for the Premier League, PGMOL and the cabal headed by those two charlatans in red, Manchester United and Liverpool.