Manchester City Advance to 2019 Carabao Cup QF with Win vs. Southampton

Defending champions Manchester City advanced to the quarter finals of the 2019-20 Carabao Cup after they beat Southampton 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.

Nicolas Otamendi headed home the opener in the 20th minute and Sergio Aguero put the hosts 2-0 up before of half time.

The Argentinian effectively put the game to bed soon after the break with an opportunistic finish, but Jack Stephens' 75th minute header was just reward for a spirited second-half display from Saints. 

Fresh from their 9-0 home drubbing at the hands of Leicester City in the Premier League, though, Ralph Hasenhuttl's side are now winless in five in all competitions.

City's fans were quick to remind Southampton and their visiting support of Friday's chastening events at St Mary's:

It seemed clear from the off that Hasenhuttl's side were eager to simply prevent City scoring early as they put almost all their men behind the ball.

That tactic worked for 20 minutes.

Then Bernardo Silva received a short corner, floated a ball into the mixer from the edge of the box and Otamendi rose highest to head past Alex McCarthy from six yards.

Seven minutes before the break, after more relentless pressure from City, Aguero made it 2-0.

It was a trademark City goal as they strung together slick pass after slick pass before the 31-year-old side-footed home Kyle Walker's inch-perfect delivery from the right:

The problem for Saints was City were winning comfortably having barely got out of second gear.

The hosts looked as though they could score at will, and all it took for Pep Guardiola's side to go 3-0 ahead was for Silva to slightly up the tempo.

In the 56th minute he burst past two defenders after cutting in from the right, laid the ball off to Riyad Mahrez, whose deflected shot was turned home by Aguero from close range after the Southampton defence couldn't respond quickly enough:

Jan Bednarek atoned somewhat five minutes later when he prevented a near certain goal, blocking Mahrez's close-range shot after a brilliantly precise in-swinging ball from the left flank by Phil Foden.

Claudio Bravo was then called into action, stopping well from Sofiane Boufal's long-range effort soon after the hour.

And the visitors pulled one back 15 minutes from time when Jack Stephens met James Ward-Prowse's corner with a powerful header. 

Saints never looked like launching a comeback, though, and City eventually cantered to victory and into the last eight. 

What's Next?

City and Southampton meet again at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday when they face up in the Premier League.