Manchester City suffered a shock 2-0 defeat to Southampton and exited the Carabao Cup in the quarterfinal stages. Pep Guardiola's side has won four of the last five editions of the competition but was sent packing by a resilient Saints side on Wednesday (January 11) night.
Southampton made a bright start, pressing City hard and showing their intent to cause Guardiola's men a problem. The likes of James Ward-Prowse and Moussa Djenepo were particularly threatening early on.
They took the lead in the 23rd minute thanks to Seko Mara's fine first-time finish. The French forward was found by Lyanco and took no time to dwell on the ball. He tucked it past City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega.
It was the first time Saints boss Nathan Jones had come up against Guardiola, and he was getting the better of his Spanish counterpart. His Saints marched into a two-goal lead in the 28th minute with a more impressive goal than the first.
Djenepo broke forward with the ball and saw Ortega off his line. He sent a phenomenal strike from twenty yards dipping over the German shot-stopper. It was a goal the Mali international will likely never forget.
The Cityzens came out in the second half, and within a minute, half-time substitute Kevin De Bruyne was making an impact. He placed an exquisite through ball into the path of Julian Alvarez. The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner's effort sailed just past Southampton goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu's goal.
Manchester City pushed for a vital goal and introduced Erling Haaland in the 56th minute. However, Southampton's defence stood firm and performed admirably in their underdog role.
De Bruyne sprang forward on the left flank in the 70th minute and somehow picked out Haaland, who was rushing into the Southampton box. Bazunu brilliantly gathered the ball to preserve his side's lead.
City went close in the 77th minute when Ilkay Gundogan played a pass into Bazuno's six-yard area. Alvarez poked the ball toward goal, but the Saints stopper was on hand to deny him and held on for an unlikely win.
It was Manchester City 's first defeat since the FIFA World Cup tournament break and also the first time Guardiola has been eliminated from the quarterfinals of a domestic cup competition. Here are some reactions from fans on Twitter to a shocking night for Guardiola's men:
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