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SOUTHAMPTON. — Pep Guardiola said Manchester City do not have a chance in tomorrow’s English Premiership football clash with Manchester United if they replicate the shoddy performance that saw them dumped out of the Carabao Cup at Southampton on Wednesday night.
The English Premier League’s bottom club Southampton defied the odds and ran out comfortable 2-0 winners, thanks to first half goals from Sekou Mara and Moussa Djenepo.
Even the introductions of Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland after the restart failed to spark City into action as they succumbed to defeat in a competition they have dominated in recent seasons.
City failed to register a shot on target for the first time in a match since April 2018 (against Liverpool) and Southampton deservedly advanced to set up a semi-final clash with Newcastle.
Guardiola’s side are back in action tomorrow when they face a daunting trip to Old Trafford for the Manchester derby against Erik ten Hag’s rapidly improving outfit.
City crushed United 6-3 in the reverse fixture earlier this season when both Haaland and Phil Foden scored hat-tricks, but Guardiola accepts United are in a completely different place right now under their new manager and will pose a real threat tomorrow.
Guardiola said his team were nowhere near their best and were second best against the English Premier League’s bottom club Southampton on Wednesday night. “The best team won,” he said. “They were better. We didn’t play well. We had a bad start and we didn’t perform good.
“Today was not even close to what we are. We were not prepared to play in this competition to get to the semi-finals. We were not ready.
“You have to be prepared for every single game when you play for Manchester City and today we were not.
“If we perform this way (in the Manchester derby) we do not have a chance. I have the feeling today the line-up doesn’t matter, the performance happens. We were not here.”
Guardiola also defended his decision to rest Haaland and De Bruyne from the start, pointing out that neither player featured in Sunday’s 4-0 FA Cup drubbing of Chelsea.
He added: “I leave them on the bench against Chelsea and you didn’t ask me that question because we won.
“Always I believe when you play four competitions I have the feeling that you have to use everyone you have to be ready.
“And the guys that don’t play have to do something with your body language to help the guys and everybody be involved. So who knows if Erling and Kevin it could have been different. I don’t know.
“We tried to do our best. We rotated our team after we played Chelsea in the Premier League and we won and people say how nice is the decision.
“I understand this business we want everyone to be invovled but today was not the case. I had the feeling today it doesn’t matter the line-up what I do we will perform in this way.”
It is a second straight win for under-pressure Southampton boss Nathan Jones, who had been subjected to boos and chants of ”you don’t know what you’re doing” by Saints fans just seven days ago.
“I’ve had people calling me out, people saying I’m this and that, non-league managers saying I’m not good enough,” he said, referring to a dig from Havant and Waterlooville boss Paul Doswell. “So this is a reward for recent weeks.
“I’ve worked very hard over my 33-year career in football and have earned the right to be here. I am good enough. It has been tough but this is what I’m paid for.
“This is one of the best sides in the world with the best manager in the world. We showed we can be a very good Premier League side.
“I want to build a free-flowing, fluid and attacking style. It can’t happen overnight. Pep has created one of the best teams of all time. It didn’t take four weeks. I am not David Blaine!
“Within 10 minutes of the Brighton game (a loss), I was inept. Everyone needs time, no manager in the world has a magic wand.
“I am really pleased with the performance. I thought we were excellent. We were aggressive, organised and went after the game. We scored two good goals and could have scored more, we were hardly defending for our life.
“I am really proud — of my players, myself and my coaching staff. I hope tonight goes a way to justifying why we’re here.”
So will the Welshman celebrate the win when he is home?
CARABAO CUP SEMI-FINAL DRAW
Southampton vs Newcastle United
Nottingham Forest vs Manchester United
First legs — Week commencing January 23
Second legs — Week commencing January 30 — Mailonline.
Online Reporter