SAINTS ended Manchester City’s 12-match Premier League winning streak and could have even taken more than the 1-1 draw they escaped St Mary’s with.

Kyle Walker-Peters netted his first top-flight goal inside seven minutes but, after several golden chances squandered, Aymeric Laporte comfortably headed City’s equaliser in the second-half.

Saints then had to survive two lengthy VAR checks as the clock ticked down, but managed to avoid the concession of either a penalty or a straight red card.

Ralph Hasenhuttl named three changes from the Wolves defeat, reverting to his 4-2-2-2 formation with Ibrahima Diallo and Lyanco sacrificed. Nathan Tella is also understood to have missed out due to a minor groin concern.

All three co-founders of Sport Republic were in attendance, including Dane Rasmus Ankersen for a first time after Dragan Solak and Henrik Kraft watched the win versus Brentford.

The visitors arrived at St Mary’s top of the Premier League table by 11 points and on an incredible winning run of 12 consecutive matches.

Yet Saints could not have written a better start to the evening’s theatre for Ankersen, opening versus the defending champions inside just seven minutes.

Goalscorer Walker-Peters linked up a one-two with Nathan Redmond on the right-flank into the City area and was able to superbly lift a strike, right-footed, just over and across Ederson.

Armando Broja thought he had doubled the lead after 24 minutes when he finished calmly past the Brazilian, but after a brief VAR check it was ruled offside. Minutes later he thought he had won a penalty, but again the linesman’s flag was correctly raised.

Jan Bednarek was booked for a bad foul on Jack Grealish, which caused the former Aston Villa talisman to attempt a spat with an unwilling Oriol Romeu as he vented his frustrations.

And Fraser Forster produced a stunning footed-save to deny Raheem Sterling from close-range shortly before the break, but Saints barely survived an extended period of City onslaught.

Intensity continued into the second period despite a Saints substitution – Moi Elyounoussi coming on for Redmond – with Bednarek and Rodri both denied at each end by the shot-stoppers.

Another huge chance went begging as Broja’s header from close-range collided with the woodwork and a falling Bednarek was unable to turn home the rebound with a first-time effort.

That was then rued as Kevin De Bruyne’s expert deep free-kick delivery was headed in by an unmarked Laporte at the back-post with 25 minutes still to play.

Provider almost turned scorer as the Belgian superstar wrapped a vicious shot onto the woodwork and Saints breathed a sigh of relief.

Substitute Gabriel Jesus was the next to have an effort hit the post, before City had two lengthy and nervy VAR checks go in the favour of Saints.

First, the visitors were denied a penalty for a Mohammed Salisu intervention inside the area, before Stuart Armstrong could have had a yellow card upgraded to a straight red for high foot – but did not.

The home side were quite happy to slow down any potential counter-attacks as the time remaining wound down – but Salisu had to produce a world-class tackle to stop De Bruyne breaking into the six added minutes.

Saints: Forster; Walker-Peters, Bednarek (Lyanco, 70), Salisu, Perraud; Romeu, Ward-Prowse, S Armstrong (Diallo, 80), Redmond (Elyounoussi, h-t); Adams, Broja

Unused subs: Stephens, Long, A Armstrong, Walcott, Valery, Caballero (g/k)

Booked: Bednarek, S Armstrong, Elyounoussi

Manchester City: Ederson; Walker, Dias, Laporte, Cancelo; Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Silva; Sterling (Jesus, 60), Foden, Grealish

Unused subs: Slicker, Stones, Ake, Gundogan, Fernandinho, McAtee, Wilson-Esbrand

Referee: Simon Hooper