England's SOUTHAMPTON, 11 January (Reuters) - Champions Manchester City lost shockingly 2-0 to lowly Southampton in the League Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday, sending them packing.
Sekou Mara and Moussa Djenepo of bottom-of-the-table Southampton scored twice in the first half, and City never really threatened to get back into the game.
Mara connected beautifully with Lyanco's whipped cross to score Southampton's first goal in the 23rd minute, and the hosts added a second goal five minutes later when Djenepo saw City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega off his line and curled an incredible attempt into the top corner.
City, who have won the League Cup six times since 2014, were shut out of the game without registering a shot on goal, despite the entrance of Kevin de Bruyne and Erling Haaland as substitutes in the second half.
James Ward-Prowse, the captain of Southampton, told Sky Sports that Nathan Jones, their new manager, and his team were fearless in their play.
"This is a unique night. Playing in these games is special, especially if your league struggles at the time. We were aware that this was a fantastic spectacle and a huge distraction. We didn't flinch.
Several careless Manchester City players—who don't frequently start in the Premier League but were used by Pep Guardiola in the name of squad rotation—were preyed upon by Southampton. Sergio Gomez, a right back, lost control of the ball to start the move that led to Sekou Mara's goal. As a result of goalkeeper Stefan Ortega's poor positioning, Moussa Djenepo was able to shoot the Saints' second goal over his head.
At halftime, Guardiola substituted in seasoned players Kevin De Bruyne, Nathan Ake, and Manuel Akanji in an unsuccessful attempt to spark a comeback. Later in the game, Rodri and Erling Haaland were also introduced. However, it was not enough to make up for the terrible beginning.
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