Top-four hopefuls Manchester City travelled to Europa League-chasing Southampton in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.
An understrength City XI trailed 2-0 after 28 minutes courtesy of goals from Shane Long and Sadio Mane, but Kelechi Iheanacho hit back for the visitors late in the first period to leave matters delicately poised ahead of the second half.
Mane made it 3-1 Southampton in the 57th minute, however, before the Senegal international completed his hat-trick in the 68th minute to cap a rotten afternoon for the visitors.
Iheanacho did score his second for Man City 12 minutes from time, but the damage had already been done as Southampton moved above Liverpool into seventh position.
Read how it all unfolded in Sports Mole's minute-by-minute live commentary of the action below.
SAINTS: Forster; Martina, Fonte, Van Dijk, Bertrand; Davis, Wanyama, Clasie; Mane, Long, Tadic
CITY: Hart; Zabaleta, Otamendi, Mangala, Kolarov; Nasri, Fernandinho, Delph, Sterling; Bony, Iheanacho
© Getty Images
© Getty Images
© Getty Images
© Getty Images
© AFP
SAINTS: Forster; Martina, Fonte, Van Dijk, Bertrand; Davis, Wanyama, Clasie; Mane, Long, Tadic
CITY: Hart; Zabaleta, Otamendi, Mangala, Kolarov; Nasri, Fernandinho, Delph, Sterling; Bony, Iheanacho