Gift of Gab
Southampton 0 Manchester City 1: Gabriel Jesus seals historic 100 points haul with last-gasp strike
Striker came on as a second-half sub and hit late strike to ensure City became first team to reach 100 Premier League points
SIX years to the day since Sergio Aguero claimed Manchester City's first title in a generation with a stoppage-time strike, Gabriel Jesus wrote his own name into club legend with a historic late goal.
Jesus ran on to a long ball by Kevin de Bruyne to snatch the win which made champions City the first team ever to register 100 points in a Premier League season.
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Pep Guardiola's side also set new landmarks of 16 away wins and a new high for away points.
It was hard on Southampton, who had come close to stealing all three points through Dusan Tadic.
But to all City's other virtues you can add persistence, as Jesus scored with virtually the last kick of their amazing season.
Apart from a spell early in the second half, the champions were far from their fluent best against resolute opponents but still managed to become the first team to register 100 points and 32 wins in a top-flight season.
Manchester City players celebrate record-breaking 100 points haul after last-gasp win against Southampton
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Southampton star Dusan Tadic celebrates survival with kit giveaway… and ends up in just his pants
Defeat for Southampton made Swansea’s game against Stoke irrelevant, even though it was never likely the Swans would fashion the ten-goal swing they needed to stay up.
City enjoyed most of the ball in the first half but the Saints had the better of the chances, the best coming in the opening ten minutes.
Defender Jack Stephens found himself in the City penalty area and forced a straightforward save out of Claudio Bravo.
Then fellow centre back Wesley Hoedt hit the bar with a header from a Dusan Tadic corner.
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The big Dutchman went close again following a free kick, while City were limited to off-target efforts from distance and Saints goalkeeper Alex McCarthy did not have a save to make.
City showed more urgency at the start of the second period but were still unable to have an effort on goal.
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John Stones was close to getting something on Kevin de Bruyne’s free kick but Fernandinho was way off-target with a volley.
Then Raheem Sterling saw his shot deflected on to the post before Stones finally tested McCarthy with a header from a De Bruyne corner.
The home side had been hanging on but a double substitution gave them a second wind for a while, although James Ward-Prowse’s header from a Ryan Bertrand cross was easy for Bravo.
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Hoedt was lucky not to be punished for pushing away a Gabriel Jesus flick with his arm.
But it was Tadic who almost broke the deadlock and probably should have done.
Found by Oriol Romeu, the Serbian toyed with Bravo, going round him twice before hitting a delayed shot which Fernandinho cleared off the line.
But it was Jesus who had the final say when he fired in with seconds remaining to end an amazing season for Pep Guardiola and his merry men.
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