Southampton vs Manchester City Premier League – Injury News, Match Preview and Predicted Line-Ups

With little more than pride to play for, the Saints will need a monumental effort to avoid another defeat against an in-form Manchester City.

Manchester City travel to St Mary’s on Saturday afternoon aiming to inch closer to securing a top-five Premier League finish. Meanwhile hosts Southampton have been already relegated and they will look to salvage some pride in their remaining games of a dismal campaign.

Pep Guardiola’s side are enjoying a strong run of form, having won five consecutive league matches heading into the weekend. With their sights firmly set on Champions League qualification, a win over Southampton would mark another key step toward that objective. City have also dominated this fixture historically, winning six of the last seven Premier League meetings and claiming a 1-0 victory in the reverse fixture at the Etihad in October, courtesy of an early strike from Erling Haaland.

Vintage @ErlingHaaland 🤯 pic.twitter.com/X915PX6YBy
— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 8, 2025

On the oher hand, Southampton are enduring a miserable run at home, picking up just one point from their last 12 league matches at St Mary’s. Last weekend’s 2-0 defeat at Leicester only increased their woes, and a resurgent City outfit will pose a significant challenge. With little more than pride to play for, the Saints will need a monumental effort to avoid another defeat against an in-form Manchester City.

Southampton Injury News

Southampton will be without Albert Gronbaek (Achilles) and Charlie Taylor (hip) for Saturday’s clash, but manager Simon Rusk will be encouraged by Paul Onuachu’s return from an ankle injury. The towering striker came off the bench in the second half of last weekend’s defeat to Leicester and is expected to lead the line this time, potentially replacing Ross Stewart. Despite their relegation, Rusk is expected to stick with a familiar setup.

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Southampton Predicted Line-Up

Ramsdale; Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Stephens; Walker-Peters, Downes, Ugochukwu, Manning; Fernandes, Sulemana; Onuachu

Manchester City Injury News

Manchester City are poised to welcome Erling Haaland back into the starting XI after the Norwegian striker made a return to the squad for last week’s 1-0 win over Wolves. Haaland, who missed six games with an ankle injury, is now fully fit and could lead the line at St Mary’s. Pep Guardiola may pair the striker with the dynamic duo of Omar Marmoush and Jeremy Doku, who are likely to provide width and pace in support.

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Rodri (knee), Nathan Ake (foot), John Stones (thigh), and Oscar Bobb (hamstring) remain unavailable for selection and will miss Saturday’s fixture.

Manchester City Predicted Line-Ups

Ederson; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Gonzalez, Gundogan, Bernardo; Marmoush, Haaland, Doku

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Abhinav Goel

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I am a soccer writer at The PlayOffs, covering everything from match analysis to transfer buzz and tactical deep dives. Ever since I was a kid, soccer has been more than just a sport to me—it’s been an obsession. Playing and watching the game from a young age fueled my passion, eventually leading me into the world of sports media and betting. Now, I get to analyze the sport I love and bring the latest updates to fans worldwide.