Manchester City 3-1 Southampton: Aguero injury mars City win

Manchester Ciity bounced back from two consecutive defeats with a 3-1 win over Southampton, but the shine was taken off the victory after Sergio Aguero suffered yet another injury.

City responded to losses to Liverpool and Juventus with a scintillating start to the contest as Kevin De Bruyne opened the scoring in the ninth minute.

Delph added a deflected second before the defensive frailties that tainted the 4-1 thrashing against Liverpool seven days ago returned to unnerve Manuel Pellegrini's team.

The injury-enforced absences of goalkeeper Joe Hart and captain Vincent Kompany were keenly felt as Southampton asked repeated questions of a ramshackle backline that was punctured when Shane Long, in for the suspended Graziano Pelle in attack, scored a 49th-minute header.

Ronald Koeman's side looked favourites to score the next goal, but Aleksandar Kolarov smashed home in the 69th minute to ease the tension among an increasingly fraught home support, who had watched star striker Sergio Aguero limp out of the action.

The win returns City to the top of the table, but only a draw in the later Saturday kick-off featuring Leicester City and Manchester United can keep them there.