In a thrilling Premier League Round 36 clash, Southampton stunned Manchester City with a commanding 4–2 home victory, highlighted by a brilliant hat trick from Sadio Mane. The Saints outplayed their visitors in both intensity and execution, leaving City with more questions than answers as the season winds down.
Manchester City entered the match with heavy squad rotation—making eight changes from their midweek UEFA Champions League fixture. Zabaleta, Mangala, Kolarov, Nasri, Delph, Sterling, Bony, and Iheanacho were all included in the starting lineup, while Joe Hart marked his 300th Premier League appearance.
The tone was set early, with Mane testing Hart in the 2nd minute from outside the box, only for the keeper to collect it comfortably. At the 19th minute mark, Shane Long made a bursting run and fired just into the side netting. One minute later, Iheanacho created space on the flank and cut back for Sterling, whose close-range shot was brilliantly saved by Fraser Forster—squandering a golden opportunity for the visitors.
Southampton’s breakthrough came in the 25th minute. Martina lofted a precise pass over the top, which Tadić chased down to the byline and floated back into the box. Shane Long timed his run perfectly and struck past Otamendi and Hart to make it 1–0—his 10th Premier League goal of the season.
Just three minutes later, Southampton struck again. Tadić slipped a defense-splitting through ball to Mane, who darted past a jogging Kolarov and calmly slotted home for his 8th league goal of the campaign, making it 2–0. Manchester City responded just before halftime when Nasri’s cross deflected off Fonte and Martina, landing perfectly for Iheanacho to head home—cutting the deficit to 2–1.
Despite the momentum shift, Southampton didn’t flinch. In the 57th minute, Steven Davis delivered a corner that Virgil van Dijk headed off the underside of the bar. Mane was first to react and smashed in the rebound, securing his brace and pushing the score to 3–1. Eleven minutes later, Van Dijk tackled Iheanacho cleanly to start a counterattack. Tadić picked up his third assist with a well-weighted pass into the right channel, where Mane sprinted into the box and finished low into the near post—completing his hat trick in style.
Though Iheanacho curled in a beautiful strike from the edge of the box in the 79th minute to make it 4–2, it was too little, too late. The Nigerian forward now has 6 Premier League goals from just 8 shots on target—an astonishing conversion rate that makes him one of the league’s most efficient scorers.
Statistically, Southampton were the better side throughout. They led 14–6 in shots and 7–5 in shots on target, and more importantly, showed far more hunger and cohesion. While City had flashes of brilliance, especially from Iheanacho, they looked disconnected and lacked the drive needed to compete.
In the end, Southampton’s superior effort and Mane’s sensational hat trick sealed a deserved win. For Manchester City, Iheanacho’s two goals were the silver lining in an otherwise disappointing outing. The Saints, meanwhile, proved once again that when they click, they can take down even the biggest names in the league—reminding everyone that on their day, they are a force to be reckoned with.