CHE Adams bagged his first goal for the club in spectacular fashion to hand Saints a stunning 1-0 win at home to Man City.

The striker, who arrived from Birmingham in a £15million deal last summer, lobbed Ederson from 35 yards out in the first half.

And Saints were able to see the game out through a mixture of brilliant defending and even better saves to record just their fifth St Mary’s victory of the season.

Ralph Hasenhuttl made three changes to the team that won convincingly at Watford.

Adams was handed a rare start ahead of Shane Long, with Stuart Armstrong getting the nod in place of Will Smallbone.

Jack Stephens also came back into the starting XI after missing the Watford match due to a one-game suspension following his red card against Arsenal.

Adams was the benefactor of a Danny Ings flick on in the sixth minute, receiving the ball inside the area and with the time and space to get a shot away.

The former Birmingham ace let fly but it ended up going across the face of goal and landing at Nathan Redmond’s feet before it was cleared by the City defence.

In the build-up to Sunday’s match, Hasenhuttl explained how he was desperate to see his summer signing score before the season was out.

And the Austrian got his wish in the 16th minute.

Stuart Armstrong put City’s midfielder under pressure which resulted in the ball falling to Adams.

He looked up, noticed Ederson off his line and lobbed the goalkeeper with a fantastic strike from 35 yards out.

Gabriel Jesus missed a golden opportunity to bring the score level in the 23rd minute as his outstretched foot could only turn the ball over Alex McCarthy’s goal from close range.

City threatened again just shy of the half-hour mark but were denied by an excellent string of saves from McCarthy.

Raheem Sterling’s first strike forced Saints’ keeper into making a solid save to his right before prompting the 30-year-old to make another brilliant stop moments later.

The City and England forward then curled a shot towards the top corner but was unable to find his range with the ball going wide.

Captain James Ward-Prowse provided the St Mary’s outfit with the chance to extend their lead in the 34th minute.

A defence-spitting Oriol Romeu pass led to Ward-Prowse having the time to whip a dangerous centre into the box.

His cross zipped across the face of goal but wasn’t met by an oncoming Saints player.

As the first half drew to a close, Kyle Walker-Peters spotted Danny Ings’ run and lofted a pass into the striker’s direction.

However, a fully stretched Ings was unable to direct it past Ederson in the City net.

The visitors started quickly after the restart and Jesus was left rueing another missed opportunity to bring the game level.

He met a City corner with a glancing header, only for it to drift wide of McCarthy’s post.

If Pep Guardiola’s side were going to equalise, they were going to have to find their way past an unflappable Saints keeper.

David Silva weaved his way into the box and let fly from close range in the 54th minute but was denied by the legs of McCarthy.

City continue to pile on the pressure and watched another chance go begging as Bernardo Silva’s venomous strike was deflected just wide.

They followed this miss with another moments later when Jesus was unable to guide his free header from a matter of yards out past McCarthy.

Had the Brazillian gone either side of Saints’ goalkeeper it would have been a goal, but he directed it straight into the 30-year-old’s hands.

After defending for a sustained length of time, the home side ventured forward and almost caught City napping.

A loose back pass led to Ederson charging off his line to nick the ball away from Adams moments before he was about to pull the trigger.

Shane Long replaced goalscorer Adams in the 70th minute and made an immediate impact for the hosts.

His surging run led to Stuart Armstrong forcing Ederson to make an excellent save with his legs.

Guardiola’s City continued to pepper the Saints area until the final whistle but were unable to find a way back into the game.