Manchester City ended their Premier League season by easing to a 2-0 victory over Southampton this afternoon.
Frank Lampard slotted in from James Milner's cross to give the Citizens the lead on his final appearance for the club.
They made sure of the points in the closing stages when Sergio Aguero headed in from close range for his 26th league goal of the campaign.
Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the events that unfolded at the Etihad Stadium.
Match Statistics:
MANCHESTER CITY:
Shots: 15
On Target: 6
Possession: 55%
Corners: 8
Fouls: 13
SOUTHAMPTON:
Shots: 13
On Target: 4
Possession: 45%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 8
Was the result fair?
Manchester City deserved to pick up the three points and the scoreline is a valid reflection on their performance this afternoon. It took them a while to get going, but once they hit their stride they looked a real danger and Kelvin Davis was forced into making a number of good saves before Lampard scored the opener. Southampton did come back into the game early in the second half and pressed hard for a leveller, but they soon ran out of gas and it was no surprise to see Aguero wrap up the points late on.
Manchester City's performance
City initially struggled in the early stages of the match and there seemed to be a real lack of inspiration. However, midway through the first half they came to life and began to look a threat every time that they came forward. Lampard's goal gave them the edge and allowed them to start playing their usual style of football. They weren't quite as good after the break and allowed their opponents chances to get back into the game, but their defence stood firm to ensure that they ended the season on winning terms.
Southampton's performance
The Saints made a very bright start to the game and it looked as if they would cause some problems for the visitors backline, especially with Martin Demichelis picking up a booking inside the opening two minutes. As the game wore on, they saw less of the ball and found it hard to get in behind. Lampard's goal made things even tougher for them and they were fortunate to go into the break trailing by just one goal.
When they came back out onto the pitch for the second period, they did enjoy a good spell and took the game to City. However, they struggled to create many clear-cut chances and when they did get forward, Graziano Pelle was caught offside a number of times. In the end, their opponents were just too good for them and now their hopes of qualifying for the Europa League rest on Arsenal winning the FA Cup next weekend.
Sports Mole's man of the match
David Silva: Although Lampard and Aguero will take the plaudits for their goals, David Silva was at the heart of his team's best moves. The Spaniard was involved in the build-up for the opener and he showed moments of great skill, especially in the first half, to pick holes in the Southampton defence.
Biggest gaffe
There weren't any terrible defensive mistakes that led to the two goals, but Aguero will have been kicking himself at the amount of chances that he missed. The Argentine fluffed his lines on more than one occasion, as a combination of poor finishing and great goalkeeping from Davis kept him at bay. However, he ended the season in fine form by scoring his 26th league goal - enough for him to win the Golden Boot.
Referee's performance
It seemed as if there would be plenty of bookings shown by Chris Foy, after he gave a card to Demichelis early on, but just one more followed. There was not much else the referee had to do, as he allowed the match to flow and was not called into making any contentious decisions.
Alex Meyers
