Ruben Dias would have been delighted to captain Manchester City in their latest 1-0 victory against Southampton.
Regarded as one of the best defenders in the world, Ruben Dias would have been determined to ensure Manchester City keep a clean sheet against Russell Martin’s side.
The Portuguese centre-back and his partners at the back succeeded in this mission as Manchester City were very defensively resolute on Saturday.
Pep Guardiola explained Erling Haaland’s struggles against Southampton in terms of having being the opposition players being overly physical against him and getting penalised for it.
The Saints seemed in the mood to mix up their game by being brave in possession and equally streetwise off the ball.
However, Dias and Co made sure that the Etihad Stadium would witness the hosts taking home the three points.
Andy Morrison names Ruben Dias’ “focus and attention” vs Southampton as “remarkable”
Ultimately, the biggest priority for City is to win no matter what.
The Premier League winner seems to be getting results regardless of the nature of their displays and their latest outing against the Premier League’s 20th-placed side was another example of this being the case.
Andy Morrison was full of praise for Dias due to how concentrated he was at the back for Manchester City against Southampton.
The pundit said via Manchester City’s YouTube channel: “[Ruben] Dias again, Dias’ communication, he’s talking, he’s organising, there’s a couple of little moments where he’s caught them half a yard offside, the importance of that, I can’t put into words because the next movement, they’re in on goal or they’re two on one on the opposite side.”
“So, Dias, to keep that level of focus and attention throughout the half especially when you’ve got so much possession, I think it’s remarkable.”
The 28-year-old’s statistics certainly painted a picture of how solid he was for City.
| RUBEN STATS FOR MAN CITY VS SOUTHAMPTON | |
| DRIBBLED PAST | 0 |
| GROUND DUELS WON | 2/2 |
| TACKLES | 2 |
| CLEARANCES | 2 |
| ACCURATE PASSES | 89/92 (97%) |
| SHOTS ON TARGET | 1 |
| TOUCHES | 97 |
Manchester City fans lauded Gvardiol’s display against Southampton and the Portuguese international was similarly reliable in defence.
What Dias said to Man City fans after they beat Southampton
Dias reacted to Manchester City’s win against Southampton by sending a message to the home fans in the aftermath of the clash.
The four-time Premier League winner said via the club’s in-house media: “Hello guys, buzzing to get the win. I know we all love wins with a bit more goals.”
“But we also love a zero at the back [a clean sheet]. See you soon!”
Dias’ message suggests he is satisfied with Manchester City keeping a clean sheet.
Ultimately, a strong defence tends to play an equally key role in teams winning titles.
With that being the case, Manchester City’s back four might take a lot of positives from their latest result.
