Manchester City rallied from successive defeats to reassert themselves in the Premier League title race with a 3-1 win over Southampton at St Mary's
David Silva's 10th-minute opener was scant reward for City's slick early play, yet Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg - who was later sent off - threatened another troubling afternoon for the champions when he lashed Saints level (37)
But the game turned back decisively in a dramatic end to the first half as James Ward-Prowse, after being denied a penalty, diverted into his own net (45), before Sergio Aguero struck (45+3) to seal a result that lifts City back into second
Pep Guardiola's side had surrendered the title initiative to Liverpool during a cheerless December featuring three league defeats, but they head into Thursday's showdown with the leaders seven points behind, knowing victory in front of the  cameras could trim an ominous gap to four points
Guardiola had talked up his stuttering side's stats ahead of the game and they started with purpose, David Silva forcing a fine save from Alex McCarthy before slotting past him soon after when namesake Bernardo and Riyad Mahrez combined
Charlie Austin dithered when through on goal just moments before the breakthrough and City's bravado at the back might have been punished but Saints were camped in by City's one-touch weaving, Aguero thwarted by McCarthy after another sweeping move down the right
A shift in momentum was unexpected but it came as Austin forced Ederson into a fine save with a flicked header, before Hojbjerg robbed Oleksandr Zinchenko of the ball and rifled into the roof of the net
Guardiola slumped into his seat but the game suddenly lurched back in his side's favour
 Ward-Prowse called for a penalty after tumbling under close attention from Zinchenko but straight up the other end, unwittingly prodded Raheem Sterling's cross beyond his goalkeeper
Aguero met Zinchenko's cross minutes later and Southampton hope, having been swiftly snuffed out, never looked like reigniting
City bossed the ball after the break but though Sterling had a series of opportunities - denied on one occasion by McCarthy's head - and Aguero hit a post, they were unable to add further gloss to the scoreline
The tiring Saints finished with 10 men as Hojbjerg saw red (85) for a meaty challenge on Fernandinho but the game was long gone, home supporters streaming out as City's travelling fans warned Jurgen Klopp's Reds: "We'll fight to the end
"Back in the starting XI, Silva opened the scoring and was City's chief creator in a largely dominant first half
 He crafted four chances, was accurate with 91 per cent of his passes and has now scored home and away against the same side in a single season six times (Arsenal 13-14, Newcastle 14-15, Stoke 17-18, Swansea 17-18, WBA 14/15, Southampton 18/19)
"The distance at the top is big but we want to be there as long as possible to fight for the Premier League
""The worst thing was the red card because Hojbjerg will be out for a few weeks
 Ward-Prowse penalty? It's not 100 per cent a penalty but it was a crucial moment
 At 3-1 it killed the match
"While City host Liverpool in that crunch encounter at the Etihad - live on  from 7pm on Thursday - Southampton travel to Chelsea on January 2
 Watch in-game clips and highlights from that game, and the rest of the New Year schedule, on the Sky Sports app
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