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Cape Town - Manchester City coach Manuel Pellegrini stressed the importance of winning his side's final league match of the season with much of the attention focused on the departing Frank Lampard.
Manchester City eased past Southampton 2-0, to give Manuel Pellegrini's second placed team a sixth consecutive victory - a strong end to an erratic season for City and their Chilean manager
The game marked a farewell to English football for City's former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard, who opened the scoring with the 259th goal of his club career.
Sergio Aguero, with his 26th league goal of the season, wrapped up City's victory late on, but the focus was very much on Lampard, who joins New York City FC after a near 20-year career in English football.
"I spoke before the game with the whole squad and said it was important to finish the season here with a win in front of our own fans," said Pellegrini.
"But it was also important for Frank. He deserves the farewell all the people, our fans, gave him here today. It was also very important for him to score.
"It was the perfect afternoon, the perfect goodbye for him and he deserves it, for his brilliant career, and the fact he is a great person."
Lampard himself was clearly emotional when his two daughters and father, former West Ham player Frank senior, came onto the field during post-match ceremonies and presented him with a framed City shirt.
"I couldn't have wished for anything for else. I'm proud of all of it," Lampard said.
"For a young boy with a dream to play in the Premier League, to go to my home-town club West Ham and then go to Chelsea and win everything, it doesn't get better.
"I'm a lucky boy, to come to a big club like this for a season, I've made a lot of friends."
