Manchester City will be looking to continue their impressive scoring record when they take on what is sure to be a less than confident Southampton side. The Saints’ last league fixture was the game against Leicester City on Friday night, which ended up with a 9-0 scoreline. If Ralph Hasenhuttl doesn’t wish for a similar outcome this time around as well, his team will have to be in the mood to bounce back against what is probably the scariest squad in the entire English top division.
City’s win over Aston Villa was achieved in an effective yet comfortable manner. Still, the unexpected red card to stand-in centre-half Fernandinho could come back to haunt Pep Guardiola. The defending champions of the EFL Cup will be hoping to move one step closer to glory when they take on a somewhat beleaguered Southampton team.
Team News
Possibly the biggest injury list that Pep Guardiola has ever had to deal with to the point where even a team as deep in resources as Manchester City, looks quite bleak in terms of squad depth. Fernandinho’s absence is sure to be a massive one after he was issued a rather unnecessary second yellow late in their win over Villa.
The fact that the Brazilian was already a stand-in for an injured defender means that this could afford the young starlet Eric Garcia with his first attempt in the Manchester City first-team. The injuries to Oleksandr Zinchenko and new signing Rodri have also come at the worst possible time for Guardiola, who was already without the services of Leroy Sane and Aymeric Laporte.
Formation – 4-2-3-1
Defence
This is where Pep could really start to ring in the changes for what promises to be a difficult cup tie. The Saints will be looking to bounce back from the embarrassment they suffered at the hands of Leicester City last weekend, meaning that this will be no cakewalk for the Citizens. Young centre-half Eric Garcia and full-back Angelino are both expected to make rare starts in a usually star-studded team.
Despite the lack of experience of the two mentioned above, the presence of a couple of key names in the other two defensive positions should be enough to ensure City’s safe passage into the next round of the EFL Cup. Kyle Walker and Nicolas Otamendi are expected to join the youngster in Pep’s backline for this midweek fixture.
Midfield
Midfield is another position where City usually ooze class and depth. However, their problems in the middle of the park only seem to be worsening. Rodri’s injury is a massive blow to their title ambitions, and the need for Fernandinho to operate out of the centre-half role further highlights just how much Man City have struggled with injuries this season. Ilkay Gundogan has undoubtedly been one of the Citizens’ best players this season, and his presence in the middle of the park is sure to add a little bit of finesse to their forward play as well.
Phil Foden has impressed quite heavily in recent weeks as well, making him an obvious choice for a fixture of this kind. Ahead of the midfield duo, expect Pep Guardiola to give 18-year-old Adrian Bernabé his first start for the club, since joining from the Barcelona academy last season. Alongside him, expect to see the familiar faces of Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez on either side.
Attack
Sergio Aguero sat most of the game against Aston Villa out and only played a small part in the second half. Therefore, expect the talismanic Argentine to be preferred to the youthful Brazilian Jesus, who was the top scorer in the competition last year, for this tie.
