Left-back dilemma
While the lack of alternatives to Fernandinho have been highlighted recently, Pep Guardiola has an equally difficult issue at left-back.
Benjamin Mendy has been unavailable since November and while Manchester City coped without him last season, stand-ins Fabian Delph and Aleks Zinchenko have found it much tougher this season.
It was Zincheko occupying that position at St Mary’s after Delph’s Boxing Day dismissal and he had a difficult afternoon, caught in possession for the equaliser and surviving a penalty appeal, correctly, before half-time.
The 22-year-old is clearly comfortable on the ball and going forward, see his stunning cross for Sergio Aguero’s goal, but he is being targeted defensively and playing him at left-back against Liverpool would be a huge risk.
Guardiola was effusive in his praise for Zinchenko after the game and he did stand up to be counted after his mistake, but City’s lack of competition for Mendy could come back to haunt them at some point.
City will only be tempted into the January transfer market by the right deal, but Guardiola must be keeping an eye on available left-backs over the next month.
Partnerships
A lot of what City are about involves partnerships between certain players on the pitch and there is a relationship developing on the right between Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez.
City’s record signing and the Portuguese midfielder haven’t been paired together all that often this season when they do feature they are proving to be a left-backs worst nightmare.
Bernardo has filled that right sided midfield slot in the absence of Kevin De Bruyne but he’s been happy to drift to the touchline, often creating an overload with Mahrez, with both capable of coming back inside or going wide.
It was this combination that set up City’s opener, with Matt Targett left exposed as the duo moved the ball around him as if he was a mere training cone.