Southampton will face unbeaten Manchester City in their upcoming Premier League clash, hoping to draw inspiration from last season’s 2-0 Carabao Cup victory over Pep Guardiola’s side. Despite City’s dominant form, this fixture could be a turning point for the Saints, who are eager for a positive result.
Manchester City, reigning champions for four consecutive seasons, have started the 2024/25 campaign strongly and remain the only unbeaten team after eight matchdays. However, their recent victories, a 2-1 comeback against Wolves and a thrilling 3-2 win over Fulham, show that they are vulnerable when conceding early.
Southampton, under Russell Martin, have struggled to hold onto leads, giving away goals in the second half of recent matches. To succeed against City, they must improve their defensive resilience and take early control, much like their surprise 2-0 Cup win last year, where Sekou Mara and Moussa Djenepo scored and Lyanco led a solid defensive effort.
Though manager Nathan Jones and key players from that victory have moved on, Southampton can still learn from that performance. With City having conceded the first goal four times this season, an early Saints lead could build momentum. However, Southampton will have to adapt, with fullback Yukinari Sugawara and midfielder Will Smallbone likely to miss the match, possibly prompting a shift in defensive strategy.
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