The reigning English champion comes in off the back of a 5–0 thrashing of Sparta Prague in the UEFA Champions League. City's seven points from a possible nine in the new-look league phase are only second behind Aston Villa and Liverpool.
In the Premier League, City sits second in the able after eight matches played with 20 points, just one point behind Arne Slot's Liverpool. Pep Guardiola's team managed to squeak by Wolverhampton Wanderers with another late goal from John Stones following a narrow win against Fulham.
However, all that matters in Guardiola's mind is three points which City are expected to claim against the Saints. While Rodri is out for the rest of the season and youngster Oscar Bobb is still recovering from a broken leg, the likes of Jérémy Doku and Jack Grealish recently joined the crowded injury room in the City camp.
Meanwhile, Kevin De Bruyne is nearing a return to action and veteran defender Kyle Walker is expected to miss the next couple of weeks with a thigh injury.
Here's how City could lineup at home against Southampton.
GK: Ederson—The veteran shot-stopper returns to the mix after Guardiola rested him in favor of Stefan Ortega in the midweek win.
RB: Rico Lewis—The 19-year-old is set to start oh the right-hand side of the backline once again with Walker out through injury.
CB: John Stones—Stones has impressed in front of goal despite being a center-back with a goal in two consecutive matches. Guardiola will hope that his side won't need another late goal from him in a match they should be comfortably winning.
CB: Rúben Dias—Dias came on late in the second half against Sparta Prague and should be fit to start at the weekend.
LB: Joško Gvardiol—Guardiola gives the Croatian defender the nod at left-back after Nathan Aké played the majority of the midweek match in his return from injury.
DM: Matheus Nunes—Nunes played the full 90 minutes in the Champions League win and Guardiola might not have a choice but to start him again given the injury situation and how he impressed in the victory.
DM: Mateo Kovačić—The ex-Chelsea player features from the jump, sitting just in front of the backline.
RW: Phil Foden—Foden could start anywhere in the final third outside of striker and Guardiola could look to deploy him out wide on the right with Savinho on the opposite flank.
AM: İlkay Gündoğan—The former Germany international takes on the No. 10 role for City with De Bruyne inching toward a return to action.
LW: Savinho—Although Savinho typically starts on the right-wing, there's a good chance he starts on the left-wing as he aims to drive to the byline and put in crosses with his preferrered left foot.
ST: Erling Haaland—Fresh off two goals in the Champions League, Haaland leads the line hoping to find the back of the net in the Premier League for the first time in over a month.
What is the latest team news?
Phil Foden starts for Manchester City in their home fixture against Southampton this afternoon.
Having been benched for the win over Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend, the England international is handed only his second Premier League start of 2024/25.
Today’s match at the Etihad is one of just four fixtures kicking off at 15:00 BST:
Foden is one of three changes to the City line-up from Gameweek 8. Matheus Nunes, impressive on the left wing in midweek, and Manuel Akanji also get recalls.
Jeremy Doku is missing through injury, while Ilkay Gundogan and John Stones drop to the bench.
City’s injury crisis means that Pep Guardiola names only five outfield substitutes this afternoon, two of whom have never started a league game for the reigning champions.
Southampton’s two changes see Adam Lallana and Jack Stephens come in for Joe Aribo and Yukinari Sagawara.
At the Amex, Danny Welbeck is passed fit and starts for the hosts.
Fabian Hurzeler recalls Kaoru Mitoma, Jan Paul van Hecke and Pervis Estupinan, too.
Out go Lewis Dunk, Jack Hinshelwood and Evan Ferguson. Hinshelwood is absent from the squad altogether, while Dunk was injured in the warm-up.
Tommy Doyle replaces Andre in Wolverhampton Wanderers’ only alteration.
Jose Sa is still between the sticks for the visitors, with the injured Sam Johnstone not in the squad despite his return to training this week.
Over at Villa Park, there are two changes from the side sent out to defeat Fulham a week ago.
John McGinn and Ezri Konsa, only substitutes upon their returns from injury at Craven Cottage, are back in the starting XI here.
Leon Bailey and Diego Carlos make way.
Bournemouth roll out four changes despite beating Arsenal last weekend.
Kepa Arrizabalaga misses out entirely with an abductor issue and is replaced by Mark Travers, while Enes Unal, Ryan Christie and Justin Kluivert are also given starts.
Evanilson and Marcus Tavernier drop to the bench, while Alex Scott has a medium-term injury.
Finally, in west London, Brentford boss Thomas Frank welcomes the fit-again Yoane Wissa back into his starting XI.
Mads Roerslev also gets a start as Kevin Schade is benched and Kristoffer Ajer sits the game out. The Norway international has a minor foot issue.
The busiest manager of the day is Kieran McKenna, who makes six alterations in all.
The Ipswich Town boss changes his entire attack, with George Hirst, Sammie Szmodics, Chiedozie Ogbene and Conor Chaplin getting the nod.
Liam Delap, Wes Burns and Jack Clarke are only substitutes, while Omari Hutchinson is absent from the matchday squad due to illness.
Jens Cajuste and Harry Clarke start in place of the injured Sam Morsy and the benched Luke Woolfenden.
Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Pau, Digne, McGinn, Onana, Tielemans, Ramsey, Rogers, Watkins.
Subs: Olsen, Carlos, Mings, Maatsen, Barkley, Buendía, Bailey, Kamara, Durán.
Bournemouth XI: Travers, Araujo, Senesi, Zabarnyi, Kerkez, Cook, Christie, Dango, Kluivert, Semenyo, Enes Unal.
Subs: Dennis, Huijsen, Smith, Hill, Aarons, Brooks, Adams, Tavernier, Evanilson.
Brentford XI: Flekken, Van den Berg, Collins, Pinnock, Roerslev, Norgaard, Janelt, Damsgaard, Mbuemo, Wissa, Lewis-Potter.
Subs: Valdimarsson, Schade, Jensen, Carvalho, Mee, Yarmoliuk, Meghoma, Konak, Trevitt.
Ipswich Town XI: Muric, H Clarke, O’Shea, Burgess, Davis, Cajuste, Phillips, Ogbene, Chaplin, Szmodics, Hurst.
Subs: Slicker, Walton, Woolfenden, Burns, Al-Hamadi, Delap, Townsend, Broadhead, J Clarke.
Brighton and Hove Albion XI: Verbruggen, Veltman, Igor, Van Hecke, Estupinan, Kadioglu, Baleba, Ayari, Mitoma, Georginio, Welbeck.
Subs: Steele, Lamptey, Gruda, Enciso, Adingra, Moder, Cahill, Wieffer, Ferguson.
Wolverhampton Wanderers XI: Sa, Semedo, Bueno, Dawson, Toti, Ait-Nouri, J. Gomes, Lemina, Doyle, Cunha, Strand Larsen.
Subs: Doherty, Andre, R Gomes, Sarabia, Forbs, Bellegarde, Guedes, Lima, Bentley.
Manchester City XI: Ederson, Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Kovacic, Bernardo, Nunes, Savinho, Foden, Haaland.
Subs: Ortega, Carson, Stones, Ake, Gundogan, O’Reilly, McAtee.
Southampton XI: Ramsdale, Stephens, Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Walker-Peters, Downes, Lallana, Fernandes, Manning, Dibling, Archer.
Subs: McCarthy, Aribo, Armstrong, Bree, Sugawara, Sulemana, Cornet, Ugochukwu, Onuachu.
Erling Haaland's Goal Drought
Erling Haaland may be a goal machine, but he is not always in robotic mode.
While he has netted a crazy 10 Premier League goals in just eight games this season, he has failed to score in the last three.
For Haaland, that's unheard of.
After scoring a brace in the Champions League on Wednesday, I'm sure he will feel he can get back on the horse in the league too.
If I was Southampton, I would be terrified.
Can Southampton Avoid a Rout?
Southampton are in desperate need of points at this moment of time.
The Saints only have one from their opening eight matches upon their return to the Premier League.
And if that's not bad enough, they squandered a 2-0 lead last week to fellow promoted side Leicester, conceding a 98th-minute winner.
So, it's probably not the best time to be facing 31-match unbeaten Manchester City, is it?
But miracles can happen, I suppose...
Can Southampton Avoid a Rout?
Southampton are in desperate need of points at this moment of time.
The Saints only have one from their opening eight matches upon their return to the Premier League.
And if that's not bad enough, they squandered a 2-0 lead last week to fellow promoted side Leicester, conceding a 98th-minute winner.
So, it's probably not the best time to be facing 31-match unbeaten Manchester City, is it?
But miracles can happen, I suppose...
Match Preview
Instead, there's plenty to feast on this afternoon, as Manchester City welcome Southampton, Brentford host Ipswich, Wolves travel to Brighton, and Bournemouth make the trip to Villa Park to meet Aston Villa.
Kick-offs in their number are in just over two hours - until then, we'll bring you all the team news, build-up, and more ahead of the weekend's action.
