City are back on track to give Pellegrini a lift

MANCHESTER City’s return to winning ways was particularly pleasing for Manuel Pellegrini after all the talk of Pep Guardiola and last week’s 4-1 drubbing by Liverpool.

Pellegrini welcomed back David Silva as a late substitute after two months out — but then saw Sergio Aguero hobble off injured.

With Joe Hart and Vincent Kompany already sidelined, any kind of lay-off for the striker is the last thing the manager needs.

‘It is not a crisis, it is a very good season,’ said Pellegrini, after his side capitalised on their fast start by going 2-0 ahead inside the first 20 minutes through Kevin de Bruyne and Fabian Delph. Southampton then rallied when Shane Long headed a goal back.

Aguero’s departure after 64 minutes dampened the mood until de Bruyne set up Aleksandar Kolarov for a third goal.

‘That killed the game,’ said Saints boss Ronald Koeman.

Coming in to this match, City had picked up one league point in two games and were beaten 1-0 by Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday.

‘This victory was an important reaction,’ said Pellegrini.

City’s opening was blistering. Raheem Sterling robbed Maya Yoshida and sprinted to the byeline, cutting back for de Bruyne to net his seventh goal in 16 games.

Southampton then got away with a handball by Steven Davis from Fernandinho’s header, but only temporarily.

From the resulting corner, Delph’s shot deflected off ex-Celt Virgil van Dijk and in for 2-0.

But such was City’s fragile state of mind that once Long headed in after 50 minutes, you felt they might throw it all away.

City badly needed a third and it came in 69 minutes when de Bruyne picked out left-back Kolarov, who drove the ball home.