Gabbiadini double earns Saints a point in hard-fought draw
Stoke destroyed but City facing tough task with the visit of high-flying Napoli
BEFORE this thrilling 2-2 draw, Mauricio Pellegrino conceded he was looking forward to inviting his old mentor Rafa Benitez “for a coke after the game”.
But after watching the defensive horror show that ensued, both men could be forgiven for reaching for something a little stronger.
Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill will also be slightly concerned that his skipper Steven Davis didn’t start the game.
The midfielder was introduced as a 67 th minute substitute and if there’s one player Northern Ireland cannot afford to have lacking fitness for the World Cup play-offs it’s the Cullybackey man.
The play-off draw will be made tomorrow with Northern Ireland pitted against either Italy, Denmark, Croatia or Switzerland.
Defensive errors were to blame for all the goals yesterday. Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster had a game to forget and should have stopped Isaac Hayden and Ayoze Perez from scoring, while Gabbiadini was allowed to dribble the ball around Newcastle’s entire defence for his first before Shane Long won the soft penalty that led to his second.
“We are disappointed because we could have won, but at the same time we are happy with taking a point away,” Benitez said later.
Two of Southampton’s most highly-prized players, Forster and Virgil van Dijk, combined to help Newcastle get off the mark.
The centre-back failed to clear his lines, handing the lively Christian Atsu the chance to shoot. His effort was blocked but fell at the feet of Isaac Hayden, who chanced his arm with a low shot. And Forster was caught completely flat-footed, stranded as the ball squirmed beyond him.
Then after the break, Perez took advantage of a defensive mix-up to stab a cross into the SOUTHAMPTON: Forster, Cedric, van Dijk, Yoshida, Bertrand, Romeu (Davis 67), Lemina, Long (Austin 82), Tadic, Redmond (Boufal 57), Gabbiadini.
Subs not used: Hoedt, McCarthy, WardProwse, McQueen.
NEWCASTLE: Elliot, Yedlin, Lascelles, Lejeune, Manquillo, Shelvey, Ritchie, Hayden, Perez (Merino 63), Atsu (Murphy 82), Joselu (Gayle 68).
Subs not used: Clark, Diame, Darlow, Jesus Gamez.
Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire) Match rating: 8
Man of the match:
Manolo Gabbiadini
box that looped off Joselu and onto bar. Cue the intervention of Gabbiadini, who scored a fine solo goal to level the scores.
The lone striker did well to bring down a long punt from the back but was surrounded by Newcastle defenders and seemingly in a position of little danger. But he was then allowed — criminally — to embark on a leisurely dribble, his low shot catching out Elliot.
The joy was short lived. Again Forster was to blame: Newcastle swept down the middle of the pitch with Perez shot low from 20 yards, only for the goalkeeper to push the attempt back out to the Spaniard who rattled in the rebound.
The game opened up, with Southampton throwing players forward and yet it was another defensive error that handed Southampton their point.
This time French defender Florian Lejeune was the culprit. The spritely Shane Long was heading nowhere when he stormed into the box chasing down an overcooked through ball, but Lejeune could not resist making the challenge.
Long hurtled over and Kevin Friend immediately awarded the spot-kick, which Gabbiadini gleefully lashed past Elliot high into the net. PEP Guardiola has warned his Manchester City players that they would be “stupid” to start getting over-confident despite their superb recent form.
Guardiola’s players lived up to the ‘Shark Team’ nickname given them by injured left back Benjamin Mendy by producing one of the most impressive and ruthless attacking displays of the Premier League era to gobble up Stoke on Saturday.
Kevin De Bruyne was the game’s outstanding player, despite not scoring, as he provided two assists and was involved in the build-up for a further three goals, producing further evidence that he is the league’s best player right now.
Guardiola (below), though, is aware that the Premier League leaders face arguably their toughest test of the season so far tomorrow, when Napoli visit the Etihad Stadium in the Champions League.
Maurizio Sarri’s team lead Serie A with a 100% record after eight matches and, like City with De Bruyne, have an in-form Belgium international attacking talent in Dries Mertens, whose form has been such this season that it has drawn comparisons with the great Diego Maradona.
With such tough opponents in town, Guardiola MANCHESTER CITY: Ederson; Walker, Stones, Otamendi, Delph; De Bruyne (Gundogan 66), Fernandinho (Toure 73), David Silva; Sterling, Jesus (B Silva 63,), Sane. Subs not used: Bravo, Danilo, Mangala, Aguero.
STOKE CITY: Butland; Edwards (Sobhi 53), Zouma, Wimmer (Martins Indi 46), Pieters; Diouf, Fletcher, Cameron, Choupo-Moting; Shaqiri, Jese (Afellay 46).
Subs not used: Grant, Adam, Crouch, Berahino.
Man of the match: Kevin De Bruyne Match rating: 8/10
Referee: Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire).
will not allow his players to start getting arrogant.
“Of course, if they think that, they will be stupid,” the manager said. “That isn’t going to happen. It is my target.
“I am going to show Napoli to my players — how good they are. Napoli can kill you with the high pressing.”
Guardiola has good reason for optimism, given the form of his attacking players, not least De Bruyne, for whom two moments stood out in a brilliant individual performance. First, there was a brilliant reverse pass, played while looking the other way, for Leroy Sane to roll across goal and allow Raheem Sterling to tap in City’s second goal.
After that, there the sublime diagonal through ball that bypassed the entire Stoke back four for Sane to run on to and slot in goal number six.
His team were three goals up after 27 minutes, with Gabriel Jesus touching in the first from Kyle Walker’s cutback, before Sterling tapped in the second and then set up David Silva to steer in the third.
Mame Diouf’s deflected effort gave Stoke one back just before half-time, and his header from 18-year-old debutant Tom Edwards’ cross then forced an own goal out of Walker, leaving the home support wondering if their team were somehow going to chuck the game away.
They need not have worried. De Bruyne slid a pass across goal for Jesus to convert his second, before Fernandinho blasted one in from 25 yards, Sane added the sixth and Bernardo Silva poked in his first since arriving from Monaco.
“With some of the goals we were running up, the boys were thrilled at how we had scored,” said centre back John Stones.
“Kevin is a great player and it comes from the training pitch. You see it day in, day out.
“But all the boys up top have been on fire and it’s from the hard work in training.”
It was a tough afternoon for Stoke, who conceded seven or more goals in a match for only the fourth time since the Second World War.
“The good news is that we don’t have to play Manchester City for a while,” said manager Mark Hughes.
“Clearly I would say this after being beaten 7-2, but they do look significantly better than anybody else in the league.”