Moussa Djenepo doubled Southampton’s lead in their Carabao Cup quarter-final against Manchester City with a finish from 30 yards out. Nathan Jones’ side, who were huge underdogs going into Wednesday’s cup tie, took a surprise lead through Sekou Mara with 23 minutes on the clock.
After spotting Stefan Ortega off his line, Moussa Djenepo gave the home side a two-goal cushion five minutes later, erupting the capacity crowd inside St Mary’s.
Pep Guardiola decided not to start Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland, or Riyad Mahrez on Wednesday night, instead opting for Cole Palmer, Kalvin Phillips, and Jack Grealish. A decision that cost them dearly. On Saturday, the Citizens will face Manchester United in what is expected to be an exciting match at Old Trafford. Guardiola claims he has devised a “ridiculous” plan to defeat United in the upcoming derby.
Meanwhile, Southampton has struggled under new manager Jones, who took over for Ralph Hasenhuttl in December. However, in Saturday’s FA Cup tie against Crystal Palace, the South Coast club earned their first win under the Irishman.
“It’s probably the toughest test you can possibly have, they are one of the best in the world, but it’s the quarter-finals of a cup so you know it’s a shoot-out. It’s winner takes all so we need a strong home performance. We’ve got a real strong performance on the weekend, so hopefully we can back that up,” Jones had earlier said of the prospect of facing Manchester City.