By KBC Associate 
Pep Guardiola took the positives from Manchester City’s 0-0 draw at relegated Southampton, which could prove to be a damaging setback in the race for Champions League football.
City welcomed Erling Haaland back from an ankle injury, but he and his teammates were left frustrated as Southampton kept their first clean sheet since December to ensure they will not tie Derby County’s record-low Premier League points total of 11.
Southampton will now finish a miserable season with at least 12 points, but it is at the other end of the table were the result carries more significance, with City missing the chance to go second and providing a boost to their rivals in the race for the five Champions League qualification places.
City would have moved six points clear of sixth-placed Nottingham Forest with the win most expected. Instead, Forest can move within a point of City with a win over Leicester City on Sunday. If there is a winner of the massive game at St James’ Park between fourth-placed Newcastle United and fifth-placed Chelsea, then they will leapfrog City into third.
While clearly frustrated with Southampton’s approach, Guardiola was relatively upbeat as he assessed his side’s performance.
“Difficult. We had chances but unfortunately couldn’t score,” Guardiola told BBC Sport.
“[Southampton were] playing to defend and defend and defend and waste time. We take that point still, it’s in our hands.
“[We] didn’t expect them to defend so deep. Defensively we were so good but unfortunately we missed the last actions.
“That point was really important.”
Defender Ruben Dias was more emphatic in his critique of Southampton.
“It’s frustrating to play against a team like them. They don’t even try to play, just wasting time the whole game,” Dias said.
“I don’t even feel like they want to play the game or win the game. They are just sitting around. We tried every way. We had chances but we didn’t score. It is what it is.”
Haaland played the full game on his return as City sought a decisive goal, the importance of that quest for a break in the deadlock leading to a change in Guardiola’s plan.
Guardiola added: “He [Haaland] didn’t expect to play as any minutes but the way the game was played we needed people in the box.”