Manchester City defender Rúben Dias expressed deep frustration with Southampton’s ultra-defensive approach during their goalless draw on Saturday.
The result was another setback for City in their push for a top-five Premier League finish and UEFA Champions League qualification. Despite dominating possession and trying various tactical approaches, Pep Guardiola’s side couldn’t break through Southampton’s resolute defensive structure.
Southampton set up with a rigid five-man defensive line and another five players positioned just ahead, compacting their entire team deep in their own half.
This forced City to be patient and precise with their build-up play. Even with the second-half introductions of Jeremy Doku, Savinho, and Nico O’Reilly to bring more energy and creativity, the breakthrough never came, and City were held to a disappointing point with just two league fixtures remaining.
Speaking to BBC Radio Manchester post-match, Dias was clearly agitated. He criticized Southampton for not attempting to play proactively, accusing them of sitting back purely to defend and waste time. “It’s obviously frustrating to play against a team like this. They don’t even try anything, they just sit and don’t even want to win,” Dias said.
He went on to add that such a game plan benefits no one—neither the players nor the spectators. He specifically highlighted the inconsistency in refereeing decisions around time-wasting, noting that when City has delayed play, it leads to immediate bookings, but similar actions by Southampton went unchecked.
Dias also mentioned that despite City’s attempts to be flexible and adapt, the opponent’s negative tactics made it almost impossible to gain momentum.
Reflecting on the reverse fixture earlier in the season, Dias remarked that Southampton had shown more ambition at the Etihad Stadium. However, in this match, he noticed constant delays due to players falling to the ground unnecessarily, all in a bid to slow the game and disrupt City’s rhythm.
When asked whether he communicated these frustrations to the referee, Dias confirmed that he and his teammates did speak up, urging the officials to intervene in managing the pace of the match and curbing time-wasting. He emphasized that, while respecting the officials, some decisions—or lack thereof—hurt the quality of the contest.
Adding to his grievances, Dias criticized the condition of the pitch, saying the dry grass contributed to the slow tempo, further aiding Southampton’s time-wasting tactics. He concluded by expressing disappointment that instead of focusing on the game, they had to battle multiple forms of obstruction—both tactical and environmental.
City will now need to regroup quickly as they prepare for the FA Cup Final against Crystal Palace at Wembley next weekend, aiming to turn the tide and end their season on a high.
