The contrast between Manchester City and Southampton is stark. City are riding high in the Premier League, while Southampton have lost many times and have only accumulated one point, which is far from their expectation of returning to the Premier League.
Despite being so far apart in the league table, one statistic made me think: the average percentage of possession between the two sides in the league this season is, in fact, not that far apart.
Manchester City are temporarily top of the Premier League in terms of possession with an average of 65%, while Southampton are third with 56% despite being two places behind, which coincides with our coach Russell Martin's tactical philosophy and team expectations. In other words, the crux of the matter for Southampton was in the detailing and far less efficient possession than City. Although the Blue Moon is not completely behind in terms of key statistics such as goals, shots and chances created, all signs point to the fact that Southampton need to be more calm in possession or else the 3 points will be easy to come by.
In last weekend's game between Southampton and Leicester City, we were in control of possession for a while and led 2:0 at half time, however the beauty of soccer is its uncertainty. In the second half, the team's defense suddenly failed and conceded three goals in a row, which continued their relegation woes. In the past four matches, Southampton has dropped three points from the lead three times. They will have to adjust quickly as the gap between them and Ewarton behind them is now seven points.
Although Southampton have beaten City at home in recent years, they haven't beaten the Blues in an official match since 2004, and even in the last 11 meetings, City have a 33-goal advantage. Considering the current situation between the two teams, I firmly believe that City have the absolute advantage, and any game will be enough to net 3 points against their opponents.
