Manchester City have been good to Southampton lately, allowing a number of players and staff members to swap the Etihad for St Mary’s.
Though their generosity surely would not extend to allowing the south coast club to claim the Carabao Cup semi-final place that was at stake place too, right? Wrong. Very wrong in fact.
Southampton gave Nathan Jones’s reign lift-off in the game most would have had down as the least likely to end with a famous win of all those he has faced so far.
Southampton secured a memorable 2-0 win over Man City to reach the Carabao Cup last four
Sekou Mara opened the scoring with a fine finish after Lyanco’s played in a delightful ball
It was the 20-year-old’s first goal from the club since he joined from Bordeaux in the summer
The Premier League champions – even much-changed – with silverware in sight in a competition they had won four times in the five years? No chance.
But Southampton stunned Pep Guardiola and his out-of-sorts players to reach the last four and send City crashing out.
Jones has been struggling to win round his doubters since his November appointment.
Losing all four of his league games had done nothing to help his cause and domestic cup wins against Lincoln and Crystal Palace not that much to appease his critics either.
But that would surely have changed last night.
And the beauty of this unforgettable win for Jones was how much his side deserved it.
It was a tactical masterclass, in the circumstances and given the opposition, against a man who has made a career out of them. At St Mary’s Guardiola was well and truly outwitted by Jones.
Southampton defended with impressive discipline, desire and defiance to nullify City in a fashion rarely seen, even when the cavalry arrived in the second half.
And they looked far more dangerous going forward, rewarded for their display with memorable goals from Sekou Mara and Moussa Djenepo.
This was no backs-to-wall job and there was nothing fortunate about their victory.
But plenty to ponder for Guardiola given what lies ahead.
Saturday’s FA Cup win at Crystal Palace was a much-needed boost for Southampton and manager Nathan Jones who named new attacking midfield signing Mislav Orsic on the bench.
Another new addition, £12m midfielder Carlos ‘Charly’ Alcaraz, was confirmed ahead of kick-off and he was paraded on the pitch shortly before the teams walked out.
A full debut for Kalvin Phillips was the eye-catching selection in City’s side, with the likes of Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland starting on the bench ahead of Saturday’s lunchtime Manchester derby.
City threatened first when Ilkay Gundogan dribbled a shot wide after Mohammed Salisu failed with three attempts to clear.
Southampton then responded with a dangerous, corner-earning run from Moussa Djenepo, a Duje Caleta-Car drive that required a fingertip save from Stefan Ortega and looping header from Salisu that City’s backup keeper gratefully held to bring an end to the home side’s flurry of activity.
Unsurprisingly, possession was being dominated by City but Southampton were proving hard to break down and capable of posing problems at the other end.
Lyanco, Southampton’s rugged, no-nonsense centre-back playing at right back, clipped a ball over the top that was perfect for Sekou Mara.
He sliced his shot wildly wide after controlling the ball instantly with his thigh but that link-up was a warning of what was to come.
Southampton seemed to sense something. James-Ward Prowse’s ball over the top almost released Mara but just about skipped through to Ortega.
His headed clearance went straight to Ward-Prowse who turned down the chance to lob the out-of-position Ortega. Never mind.
Seconds later possession was gathered by Lyanco, he burst forward into space and fizzed a ball into the near post which Mara ran onto and swept brilliantly Ortega first time.
While Jones punched the air with delight Lyanco wheeled away, arms outstretched by his side as if he had scored. He and Southampton had more to celebrate not long after.
After jack-in-the-box Jones was turning away in frustration at a missed passing opportunity by Ibrahim Diallo and Cole Palmer had a shot blocked for City Southampton struck again.
Djenepo, as is his way, had looked as threatening as he had frustrating, tripping over his own feet on a couple of occasions, so the nature of his goal was a surprise.
He collected the ball in yards of space inside City’s half charged goalwards unchallenged and, spotting Ortega off his line again, lofted the ball over him from 30 yards to lift the roof off St Mary’s with a moment of brilliant composure and execution.
As well as the score, City’s lack of offering in reply would have deeply concerned Guardiola and mass half-time changes were to be expected with only the identity of those introduced in doubt.
It was De Bruyne, Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji who Guardiola opted for and the Belgian sent through Julian Alvarez to fire wide almost immediately.
Haaland might well have finished that chance and was soon sent on along with Rodri but the visitors remained frustrated and Southampton held on to clinch a result they and Jones will not forget for some time.
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