Manchester City rebounded emphatically from two disappointing losses with a 3-1 win over Southampton in the English Premier League on Saturday, but lost Sergio Aguero to another injury.

After a 4-1 drubbing by Liverpool and 1-0 loss to Juventus in the Champions League, City found its attacking verve again as Kevin de Bruyne and Fabian Delph put the team 2-0 ahead after 21 minutes. City dominated the first half and could have extended its lead, before Southampton threatened a comeback after the break as Shane Long pulled one back.

But left back Aleksandar Kolarov scored from a difficult angle with 20 minutes to go to restore the two-goal lead and send City back atop the standings, on goal difference from Leicester.

In a worrying sign for City, though, Aguero limped off with an apparent ankle injury an hour in, although the team did get a boost when David Silva came off the bench after a nine-game injury layoff.

"I spoke with Sergio before the game and he was not going to play more than 65 minutes," City manager Manuel Pellegrini said. "In the last play, he received a kick in his heel. We will see tomorrow but I don't think it was anything important."

After being publicly criticized by Pellegrini following the loss to Liverpool, City's players looked determined to make amends in the first half.

Kolarov had a free kick saved in the opening minutes and goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg anxiously grabbed the ball as City players swarmed in.

More pressure led to the opener after nine minutes as Raheem Sterling robbed Maya Yoshida and sprinted into the area to square for De Bruyne to tap in.

Delph then marked his first league start for City by scoring from a corner as the ball rolled into his path outside the area, and the shot took a big deflection as Stekelenburg was wrong-footed.

Sterling fired over when presented with a great chance to make it 3-0, and Saints pulled one back early in the second half as Long powered in a header from a superb cross by Saido Mane.

But City weathered the comeback attempt and took the sting out of the game with a third goal.

Sterling made the initial run and Wilfried Bony was involved before De Bruyne, resisting the temptation to shoot, cleverly picked out an unmarked Kolarov on the far side. He drove home to ease City nerves.

"It was a very important reaction. It was not an easy week," Pellegrini said. "We had won just one point from the last six in the Premier League so it was very important to win here against a difficult team that was unbeaten away. I am very happy with the performance and the three points."

Southampton dropped to ninth, nine points behind City. (**)

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