Nathan Redmond gave the Saints a first-half lead but despite being below par throughout the fixture at the Etihad Stadium, City were able to earn a share of the spoils thanks to Kelechi Iheanacho's equaliser.

City began the game attempting to dominate possession but they soon found some resistance from Southampton, who probably shaded the opening 15 minutes without having a shot on goal.

Jordy Clasie was the first man to have any kind of opening but he blazed high into the stand after being set up by Redmond, but it was not long before the Saints took the lead through the former Norwich City winger.

He latched on to a wayward back-pass from John Stones before taking the ball around Claudio Bravo and firing his shot just inside the near post.

Stones thought he had made amends five minutes later when converting a Kevin de Bruyne free kick at the back post but the goal was controversially ruled out after Sergio Aguero attempted to head the ball before it reached his teammate.

City continued to probe as the first half drew to a close but they never came close to testing Fraser Forster, with Ilkay Gundogan and Aguero both dragging shots well wide of the post.

Pep Guardiola wasted no time in changing things around at the break and within 10 minutes of being introduced, Iheanacho found an equaliser for the home side.

After Leroy Sane was found on the left flank, he sent in a low cross for the Nigerian to convert from eight yards after getting in front of Virgil van Dijk.

However, while Iheanacho added extra urgency in the City attack, they still found it difficult to create anything significant in the final third and Forster was only called into the action to save routinely from David Silva.

Up the other end, Southampton were attempting to hit City on the break and Charlie Austin would have hoped to have done better with an effort from just inside the area which was saved by Bravo.

Aguero - who was quiet on his recall to the side - fired a shot across goal during the closing stages but that was as good as it got for City as they failed to win for the fifth game in a row.