The Sky Blues fell to defeat against Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium.
Two Che Adams goals in the first half saw City fall behind in the game, with Haji Wright missing a penalty ten minutes in.
Jake Bidwell pulled one back in the second half, but it wasn’t enough, as City suffered a loss on the road.
City were presented the chance to open the scoring inside the opening ten minutes, when Joel Latibeaudiere was brought down in the box.
Haji Wright stepped-up to take the penalty, but he lost his footing when he struck the ball and his effort came back off the crossbar.
The hosts would then take the lead when Kyle Walker-Peters struck from distance and his effort came off Che Adams’ arm and flew into the bottom corner.
Adams then had another sight at goal from range, but this time his shot deflected over the bar and behind for a corner, which City would clear.
His strike partner Adam Armstrong then found himself in space from distance and he found the target, but was denied by a Brad Collins save at his near post.
There was a chance for the Saints to double their lead when David Brooks raced through on goal one-v-one with Collins, but the City shot-stopper came out on top, tipping his effort behind for a corner.
From the resulting set-piece, the Sky Blues were unable to clear their lines and Che Adams scored his second of the game, poking home inside the six-yard-box.
HALF-TIME: Southampton 2-0 Sky Blues
City started the second half on top and were pushing for a way back into the game, as they passed it around the Saints box.
A chance presented itself to Callum O’Hare after a corner was cleared only as far as the midfielder and he saw his first shot blocked and then on the follow-up, he fired narrowly over the bar.
Fabio Tavares was introduced in the second half and he came closest to finding the back of the net when his shot from the edge of the area deflected off Jack Stephens and onto the top of the netting.
City would pull one back with just over 20 minutes remaining and it was Tavares who picked out Jake Bidwell at the back post and he met the ball on the volley and diverted past Bazunu.
Adams came close at the other end to completing a hat-trick, but a fine stop from Collins denied the striker.
Ellis Simms almost produced an equalising goal, as he skipped past Stephens and cut inside and looked to bend the ball past Bazunu, but the Saints ‘keeper saved well.
FULL-TIME: Southampton 2-1 Sky Blues
Goals: Che Adams x2, Jake Bidwell
Yellows: Joel Latibeaudiere, Josh Eccles, Flynn Downes
Attendance: 28,564
Sky Blues Xl: Brad Collins (GK), Joel Latibeaudiere, Bobby Thomas, Liam Kitching (Binks 80’), Jake Bidwell (Dasilva 80’); Josh Eccles (Torp 72’), Ben Sheaf (C), Callum O'Hare (Palmer 80’); Milan van Ewijk (Tavares 50’) , Ellis Simms, Haji Wright.
Subs: Ben Wilson (GK), Dermi Lusala, Jay Dasilva, Luis Binks, Kai Andrews, Liam Kelly, Kasey Palmer, Victor Torp, Fabio Tavares.
Southampton XI: Gavin Bazunu (GK), Kyle Walker-Peters, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Jack Stephens (c), James Bree, Flynn Downes, Will Smallbone, Joe Aribo, David Brooks, Che Adams, Adam Armstrong.
Subs: Joe Lumley, Jan Bednarek, Shea Charles, Joe Rothwell, Stuart Armstrong, Ryan Fraser, Samuel Edozie, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Sekou Mara.
