Testing times ahead for Blues' manager

PEP Guardiola is facing further scrutiny of his methods after Manchester City failed to win for a fifth successive game.

An avoidable John Stones error cost City dearly as Southampton claimed a point with a 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium.

To criticise may be harsh given that the result took City back to the top of the Premier League on goal difference, but Guardiola's desire to play out from the back again proved their undoing.

Last Wednesday in Barcelona it was goalkeeper Claudio Bravo who got into trouble and was sent off in chaotic circumstances. This time Stones played a blind pass into the area and gifted a goal to Saints' Nathan Redmond after 27 minutes.

Substitute Kelechi Iheanacho equalised after Stones had an earlier header disallowed for offside against Sergio Aguero but, with Fraser Forster saving from Ilkay Gundogan and David Silva, there was no winner.

It is only the second time Guardiola has gone five games without victory in his phenomenally successful managerial career and his next opponents are rivals Manchester United, in the EFL Cup, at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

The mood in the stadium at the final whistle was one of frustration and some boos were heard before Guardiola then kept his team in the dressing room for close to an hour before emerging for interviews.

But the Catalan denied he was angry with his players and spoke defiantly of rooting out the problems. He said: "The red wine was good and I took a little bit longer. We were together, we spoke, but nothing special.

"I was a football player and I know this can happen. You are able to win 10 times in a row and after you are not able to win five times. That is part of football. You have to accept that.

"I have to discover the reason why and I am going to find that. I have to help the team achieve."

City also suffered a blow with the loss of Kevin De Bruyne with a calf injury at half-time.