When Manchester City thrashed Chelsea FC yesterday, in the FA Cup 3rd round, they did so without the services of Erling Haaland, Kevin de Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan. That’s really alarming for the Blues and their supporters. It’s one thing to lose to Man City, it’s another to lose 4-0, and it is quite another thing to lose 4-0 to City when they’re resting their two best players and their team captain.
Now Southampton FC, who sit bottom in the Premier League table, are lined up as the next victim. This time in the secondary, or lesser of the two cup competitions.
Man City at Southampton FC EFL Cup Quarterfinal FYIs
Kickoff: Wed. Jan. 11, 8pm, St. Mary’s
Man City: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Southampton FC: Team News
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
Key Stat: Southampton has only beaten City once, in 15 tries, during the Pep Guardiola era (3D,11L)
We’re predicting two of those three players will come back into the side here. We’re prognosticating that Haaland stays on the bench with the Manchester Derby looming over the next upcoming weekend. That said, this is still a pretty formidable side to go up against here.
Manchester City Starting XI Prediction at Southampton FC (EFL Cup Quarterfinal)
Ortega; Lewis, Akanji, Ake, Gomez; De Bruyne, Phillips, Gundogan; Palmer, Alvarez, Grealish
Prediction: Manchester City 3, Southampton FC 0
Sorry, just not bold enough to call a big upset here.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.