Kevin De Bruyne manages what Man City defence cannot at Southampton

Kevin De Bruyne actually tumbled down the Manchester City leadership group at the start of the season, moving from second to fourth out of the five captains that are appointed by the squad each year. That perhaps wasn't unsurprising given he was injured from Euro 2020 while Ilkay Gundogan and Ruben Dias - two who jumped above him - were much more present.

Leadership does not require an armband though, and De Bruyne has remained one of the players turned to the most when City need something. As well as his other duties in the squad, the Belgian has never shirked his responsibilities on the pitch and he showed them again when Pep Guardiola badly needed something at Southampton.

On top of the energy to keep City on the front foot, the connection with Phil Foden for the third goal, his biggest contribution was stepping up to score the penalty that put the team back into the lead in a second half that was threatening to get away from them. De Bruyne remains a big presence for the big moments.

Man City rediscover Treble form as Southampton blown away in FA Cup quarter-final

Just as Crystal Palace had earlier in the week, Southampton pressed hard and high against the City defence. And just as Palace had, Southampton had some joy in doing so.

City did not look comfortable under pressure at the back - which is weird given how Guardiola has made sure they play that way since arriving in 2016. John Stones found touch rather than a teammate on a number of occasions, Joao Cancelo continued his quiet but concerning decline in form, while Zack Steffen was harried into giving the ball away cheaply in a move that nearly saw the ball come back past him into the net.

Ruben Dias is not a better passer of the ball than Stones or Laporte,