Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards has highlighted Pep Guardiola's substitution of John Stones against Southampton for inspiring the Blues to victory.
City piled on the pressure from the opening stages at St Mary's but had to wait until just before the interval to make the breakthrough as Erling Haaland headed the Blues in front. Guardiola had chosen to start Stones in a central defensive midfield role but on 56 minutes, after the natural centre-back had been booked, he brought the Englishman off for Kyle Walker.
Two minutes later, City had their second as Jack Grealish pounced on a Gavin Bazunu save to score. Haaland would make it three in acrobatic fashion with a superb bicycle kick inside the Saints' box.
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Sekou Mara pulled one back for the hosts on 72 minutes to show a brief glimpse of hope but that would be extinguished moments later when Julian Alvarez converted a penalty after Kevin De Bruyne was fouled. Reflecting on the performance, Richards told Sky Sports that City are now back in the title race.
"Man City are back [in the title race]," he declared. "Watching them yesterday against Southampton, the way in which they can change the game up so much.
"We talked about Liverpool and the way they dismantled them, and this game they changed it up, John Stones was in the midfield role, didn’t work out, made the changes, brought Kyle Walker on, Grealish in the form of his life. In the Premier League we all know it’s about timing, and Man City seem to just be in the right timing at the right part of the season.
"We know that they go on big runs, we know the quality that they have in the team, the only thing I would say is that it’s a different Arsenal now."
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