With 81% of the vote, there was a clear winner - so without further ado, let’s see what it was...
City 3-2 Southampton, 19 August 2012
The Blues began their defence of the Premier League title by welcoming Nigel Adkins’ side to the Etihad Stadium, having lifted the league crown the previous May thanks to Sergio Aguero’s last-minute winner against Queens Park Rangers.
In this encounter, Roberto Mancini’s men once again had to come from 2-1 behind late on to claim all three points.
The home side had missed a penalty before Carlos Tevez broke the deadlock six minutes before half-time. The visitors mounted a second-half fightback though to turn the game on its head with goals from Rickie Lambert and Steven Davis.
The Saints’ joy didn’t last as Edin Dzeko netted an equaliser four minutes later and Samir Nasri regained the hosts’ lead with ten minutes left to snatch victory.
Match highlights
Starting XIs
City: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Clichy, Rodwell, Yaya Toure, Silva (Balotelli 71), Nasri, Aguero (Dzeko 13), Tevez (Kolarov 87)
Unused subs: Pantilimon, Savic, De Jong, Milner
Southampton: K Davis, Clyne, Schneiderlin, Hooiveld, Fonte, Rodriguez (Lambert 56), Fox, Ward-Prowse (S Davis 65), Lallana, Do Prado, Puncheon (Sharp 85)
Unused subs: Gazzaniga, Richardson, Shaw, Seaborne
Key moments
16’ - City are awarded a penalty, after Jos Hooiveld trips Tevez
17’ - Kelvin Davis saves David Silva’s weak spot-kick
39’ - Tevez opens the scoring, latching on to Nasri’s through-ball and drilling into the near post
60’ - Lambert levels the score, curling first-time past Joe Hart
67’ - Davis gives Southampton the lead, firing into the bottom corner
71’ - Dzeko equalises for the hosts, slamming a loose ball in at the back post
80’ - Nasri makes it 3-2, capitalising on a poor defensive header to smash home
Man of the Match
Reaction
“Put the biggest stars on the grandest stages and they seldom fluff their lines and football’s English champions are no exception - even if there was the odd stutter.” - Chris Bailey, MCFC
“First day, last day - not quite a carbon copy but levels of drama to almost match what we saw in May. What a second half we’ve seen. Manchester City do make a winning start to the season and what entertainment the Premier League new boys Southampton have given us.” - Guy Mowbray, Match of the Day
“There was a great deal for both sets of players to absorb. City, in particular, have been given rapid instruction in the old truth that retaining a prize can be far more difficult than landing it for the first time. Roberto Mancini can be glad at least that complacency has been banished immediately from his squad.” - Kevin McCarra, the Guardian.
“This was the match that paraded the Premier League at its breathless, competitive best, especially in the second period when the drama jumped from end to end.” - Henry Winter, the Telegraph
“Ninety-eight days after City came from 2-1 down to beat QPR 3-2 and clinch the title in the most dramatic Premier League finale ever, Roberto Mancini’s men were at it again. The Italian manager joked he felt about 90-years-old after City’s sensational final-day triumph. After this turbulent start to their reign as champions, he must have felt 100 by the final whistle.” David McDonnell, the Mirror
