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      Liverpool Treble winner unrecognisable with bald head and heavy stubble now going by name DJ Bavaria

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      A LIVERPOOL treble winner looks completely different after doing a full U-turn on his look.The former defender played for Liverpool for four years, helping the club to lift an FA Cup, League Cup and Uefa Cup treble in 2001.
      The former Liverpool star swapped now has a shaven head with heavy stubbleCredit: Getty
      He moved into coaching after retirement in 2007Credit: Getty
      But since then, he has swapped a clean cut face and head of hair for a stubble beard and shaven head.
      And in retirement he has not stopped pursuing another of his passions.
      The 50-year-old now goes by the DJ name of “DJ Bavaria,” in reference to his homeland of Germany.
      The German starred alongside a host of Anfield legends in his time at the club in the early 2000s.
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      Among them were Steven Gerrard, Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen, Emile Heskey and Jamie Carragher.
      Standing at 6ft 2″, the defender arrived at Anfield in 2000 after starring for Bayern Munich for almost a full decade prior.
      His time at the Reds was short but sweet, collecting an assortment of seven trophies including the 2001 treble in 73 appearances before leaving in 2004 to return to Germany to finish his career with VfB Stuttgart in 2007.
      But in 2003 the 51-cap German also went on loan to Blackburn Rovers, where he made 28 appearances.
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      Have you managed to figure out who it is?
      Well if not then the answer to your question is: Markus Babbel.
      Babbel managed 60 appearances during the 2000/01 season as Liverpool lifted the treble and came third in the Premier League.
      The defender then came down with the rare Guillain-barre syndrome just one month into the following season, seeing him not play again in the Prem until November 2002 before being sidelined again.
      Eventually, Babbel made a full recovery from the condition, but having fallen out of favour at Liverpool he then moved to Blackburn in the final year of his career in England.
      Following retirement, Babbel moved into coaching.
      He managed Stuttgart, Hertha Berlin, Hoffenheim and FC Luzern before his most recent job at Western Sydney from 2018 until 2020.
      Markus Babbel helped Liverpool win the treble in 2001Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      But during his playing days Babbel’s Liverpool career was stunted by rare conditionCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      He eventually left Liverpool in 2004Credit: PA:Press Association More

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      ‘They don’t want us to win’ – Wolves’ Neves in astonishing attack on English refs after Liverpool & Forest controversies

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      RUBEN NEVES has launched a blistering attack on the shocking state of English refereeing.And demanded to know why Wolves were prevented from progressing in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup by a series of controversial match-changing blunders.
      Wolves have been on the end of some dodgy decisions latelyCredit: Getty
      And Ruben Neves launched an astonishing rant about itCredit: Rex
      “I’m not sure what is going on,” raged the Portuguese World Cup star. It feels like they don’t want us to win.”
      Wolves’ fury erupted after they crashed out of the Carabao Cup following a dramatic penalty shoot-out defeat at Nottingham Forest in midweek.
      Neves believes the tie should never have made it that far after his team-mate Matheus Nunes was denied a late penalty when Emmanuel Dennis’s studs caught Nunes’ heel, ripping the midfielder’s boot off in the process.
      That controversy came hard on the heels of an equally contentious FA Cup decision at Anfield on Saturday when Toti’s late ‘winner,’ was disallowed despite the fact there was no VAR camera angle to support the onfield decision.
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      Wolves also believe they suffered from a flawed offside call which allowed Mo Salah to score Liverpool’s second goal from a blatantly offside position.
      Their simmering frustration boiled over at the City Ground and rival players clashed after Forest’s dramatic shoot-out win set up a semi-final showdown with Manchester United at Wolves’ expense.
      In an astonishing post-match tirade, Neves:

      Accused referee Graham Scott of going AWOL while a post-match free-for-all broke out on his watch.
      Speculated it would require a broken leg for Wolves to be awarded a penalty.
      Claimed the image of English football has been tarnished by recent controversies.
      And challenged referees to have the courage of their convictions to explain their decisions in post-match interviews.

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      Wolves players feel they haven’t only been battling relegation this season, they have also been battling against officialdom.
      With no VAR in operation during League Cup ties, Neves presented Scott with Nunes’ ripped boot as evidence – only to be told he could only award the foul if the offence had occurred OUTSIDE the box!
      Nunes rapped: “What happened last week was a shame for English football and what happened here is really bad for English football as well.
      “The referee said to me the contact was not enough for him to give a penalty.
      “Maybe it was not enough for him, but how can a referee decide if the contact is enough or not?
      “Maybe if I stepped on his foot, like their player stepped on Matheus, he’d ask for a foul.
      “He told us if the foul was in the middle of the pitch he would give it to us but that the criteria in the box is different and the contact was not deemed to be enough.
      “Do we need to start breaking legs to have penalties in football?
      To compound his frustration Neves also saw his penalty in shootout savedCredit: Getty
      “I showed him Matheus’ boot, it was completely ripped!
      “There’s no excuses. He didn’t give the penalty because he didn’t want to give it, that’s it.”
      Neves’ mood darkened even further when his penalty was one of the two saved by Dean Henderson in the resulting shoot-out as Forest set up a glamour semi-final showdown with Man United.
      Afterwards, the Portuguese ace spoke from the heart and took full responsibility for his costly miss, claiming referees should also be accountable for their actions.
      Wolves are due to meet with new referees chief Howard Webb this week to flag up their concerns.
      But Neves would prefer referee Graham Scott to explain his decision-making process to the public – rather than disappearing up the tunnel, to be protected by a wall of silence.
      “At the end of the game everyone was fighting on the pitch and the referee was in the dressing room. That’s not normal,” said Neves.
      “He should be outside seeing what is happening and which players need to have a red card. Instead he was inside while everyone was fighting.
      Players erupted in a melee at the end of the Carabao Cup clashCredit: Getty
      “Now I’m here talking about my s**t penalty, and he’s going home and he will not talk to anyone. It’s too easy for them.
      “For me, I’m really sad because I really wanted to help my team win but I missed my penalty, and now I’m here talking to you.
      “I really wanted him to say to the public what he said to me on the pitch. He said to me that the contact is not enough.
      “How can a referee see the boot coming off the foot of a player and say the contact is not enough?
      “If a boot comes off, you cannot play. He would stop the game.
      “I cannot shoot the ball without the boot on my foot.
      “Imagine, Matheus wanted to shoot with the ball and he had no boot on his foot. How can that happen?
      “That’s not normal. There’s no excuse for it.
      Julen Lopetegui spoke with the ref after the game against LiverpoolCredit: PA
      Wolves asked for an explanation from the FA over the Liverpool decision
      “Even the small details. I did a foul on Aurier, I stopped in front of him and he kicked my leg, then he screamed. I got a yellow card.
      “I was asking why he gave me a yellow card and he said to me ‘no worries, if they do the same it will be a yellow card as well’.
      “Morgan (Gibbs-White) kicked Max (Kilman) in exactly the same way and he said it wasn’t the same.
      “We saw everything on the pitch and it’s really sad. I’m going home thinking about that really poor penalty, and he’s going home and doesn’t need to talk to anybody.”
      Asked for his opinion on the post-match bust-up Neves replied: “Ask the referee!
      “That’s why he’s here – to see what happened – ask him if he saw something.
      “I was with our fans thanking them for their support. When I turned around everyone was fighting and the referee was not on the pitch.
      “He was inside and that’s a mistake. I’m sure someone would have taken a red card, and that can change the next game.
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      “We should have won the game in the 90 minutes, but again it’s a big decision against Wolves.
      “I’m not sure what is going on, because it feels like they don’t want us to win.” More

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      Man Utd to REFUSE Dean Henderson plea to play Carabao Cup semi-final with Nottingham Forest ace banned due to loan rule

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      MANCHESTER UNITED will refuse Dean Henderson permission to face them in their two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest.Henderson is on loan at the City Ground from Old Trafford.
      Dean Henderson will not be allowed to face his parent club Man UtdCredit: PA
      Premier League rules barred him from facing his parent club last month as Forest went down 3-0, with Wayne Hennessey deputising in goal.
      There are no such rules in the Carabao Cup – providing the club that holds his registration grants permission.
      However, United are not prepared to do that despite Forest boss Steve Cooper hinting after Henderson’s penalty shoot-out heroics in the quarter-final that he would look into it.
      Cooper said after the game: “I’m unsure about that, but if there is (a chance), then obviously it’s something we will look into the possibility of pursuing.

      “But it’s all just talk at the minute, I guess.”
      Henderson, 25, was the hero as Forest got past Wolves to book their place in the semi-finals.
      He made crucial stops during the game which finished 1-1 and then saved two spot kicks in the shoot-out as his team triumphed 4-3.
      The draw for the next round was made immediately after the game with Forest drawn out to play Man Utd and Newcastle will face Southampton.
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      Henderson joined the Red Devils’ academy as a 14-year-old and he has had loan spells at five different clubs, most notably Sheffield United during two seasons from 2018 to 2020.
      He returned to Old Trafford in August 2020 and was added to the first-team squad signing a new five-year deal.
      He broke into the side that following campaign, going on to make 13 league appearances and he was then expected to start last season under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
      But Covid ruled him out and David de Gea consequently began the campaign and kept his place.
      Henderson told the club in the summer he wanted to move on loan before Erik ten Hag walked through the door as he was not prepared to be second choice to De Gea anymore.
      Henderson said: “I didn’t want the manager to come in and be able to see me in training. I knew he’d probably want to keep me.
      “I told all the hierarchy I need to go and play football, I don’t want to be here playing second fiddle.” More

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      Man City break unwanted record after 275 MATCHES and have more foul throws than shots on target against Southampton

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      MANCHESTER CITY broke an unwanted record after 275 matches as they crashed out of the Carabao Cup.Pep Guardiola’s side were dumped out as they lost 2-0 to Southampton.
      Not even Erling Haaland could manage a shot on target against SouthamptonCredit: Getty
      Pep Guardiola was left frustrated as Man City exited the Carabao CupCredit: Rex
      It is the first time in 16 ties Guardiola has lost a domestic cup quarter-final in his managerial career.
      And the performance on the St Mary’s pitch was one of the worst by a City team in his entire Etihad reign with Jamie Redknapp slamming it as “diabolical”.
      That was summed up by Manchester City’s failure to have a single shot on target in the match.
      Opta stats prove that is the first time the Citizens have been unable to muster a single effort on target since a Champions League match against Liverpool way back on April 4, 2018 – nearly five years ago.
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      Last night’s game was their 275th match since that painful 3-0 defeat at Anfield.
      To add insult to injury, the away side – who were aiming to win the Carabao Cup for the fifth time in six years – were penalised for two foul throws.
      Guardiola said: “The better team won. We didn’t play good, we didn’t play well in the beginning.
      “Today was a bad night, the opponent was better so we have to congratulate them.
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      “To win games you have to deserve it and tonight we didn’t deserve it.”
      Guardiola did name a weakened team to play Southampton.
      He probably hoped his second-string XI would have enough firepower to beat the Premier League’s basement boys and rest his superstars for Saturday’s Manchester derby.
      However, the Spaniard brought on Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri from the bench to try and rescue the tie after falling 2-0 down within 28 minutes.
      It did not work, though, as Haaland failed to connect with a late header on what turned out to be a comfortable night for Gavin Bazunu – and instead the Norwegian striker was taunted as a “s*** Rickie Lambert” by witty Saints fans. More

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      Southampton fans aim brutal six-word chant at Haaland as striker draws blank and Man City crash out of Carabao Cup

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      SOUTHAMPTON fans trolled Erling Haaland with a brutal chant as their side knocked Manchester City out of the Carabao Cup.Saints supporters were in the mood to party thanks to first-half goals from Sekou Mara and Moussa Djenepo.
      Erling Haaland was taunted by Southampton fans during the Carabao Cup clashCredit: Getty
      Ten minutes after half-time with his side still trailing 2-0, Pep Guardiola turned to his goal machine Haaland to try and rescue the quarter-final tie.
      But Haaland failed to come close as the eight-time winners did not manage a single shot on target across the entire match in the shock early exit.
      It was just the sixth time in his City career the Norwegian had not scored – with his tally now 27 goals in 22 competitive appearances this season as he prepares to face Manchester United in the derby on Saturday.
      But joyous Southampton supporters – who will see their side take on Newcastle in the semi-finals – could not resist the cheeky jibes as they basked in the 2-0 lead.
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      Fans chanted: “You’re just a s*** Rickie Lambert,” at Haaland as he strolled around the St Mary’s pitch.
      And the hilarious gag went down a storm on social media.
      One said: “Chants of ‘you’re just a s*** Rickie Lambert’ to Haaland, an absolute highlight of the season so far. Brilliant.”
      Another wrote: “Southampton fans singing ‘you’re just a s*** Rickie Lambert’ to Haaland… Come on be realistic, he’s not quite reached that level yet.”
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      And a third joked: “Haaland probably wondering what a Rickie Lambert is.”
      Lambert, another big, tall and powerful striker, is still adored by the Saints faithful for his heroics across five years with the club which saw him crowned player of the season twice.

      The Merseyside-born ace joined from Bristol Rovers in 2009 and his goals helped fire the club from League One to the Premier League with back-to-back promotions.
      Lambert, 40, left for boyhood club Liverpool in 2014 with a fine record of 117 goals in 235 Southampton games but struggled to replicate that return in his one season at Anfield.
      In fact, after departing St Mary’s, the 11-cap England only scored eight more goals in his career before retiring in 2017 – three at Liverpool, one for West Brom and four for Cardiff.
      Rickie Lambert enjoyed five superb seasons at St Mary’sCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      Saints stunned Manchester City to advance to the Carabao Cup semisCredit: Getty More

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      Watch moment brawl erupts after Nottingham Forest’s dramatic shootout win over Wolves as players celebrate on pitch

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      NOTTINGHAM FOREST’S clash with Wolves erupted into a brawl following the full-time whistle.The match ended 1-1 after 90 minutes with Forest progressing to the semi-final after winning the penalty shoot-out 4-3.
      Unsavoury scenes after Nottingham Forest’s penalty shoot-out victory over Wolves in the Carabao Cup quarter-final, with both sets of players were involved in a scuffle that boiled over at the City Ground 😳 pic.twitter.com/wXtK0GE5E4— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) January 11, 2023

      Morgan Gibbs-White celebrated the win in front of the Wolves fansCredit: Reuters
      Dean Henderson joined him and their behaviour upset the Wolves playersCredit: Getty
      Gibbs-White and Wolves’ Toti Gomes were at the centre of the flare up
      There was a fiery atmosphere throughout the cup tieCredit: Reuters
      Stewards had to intervene to separate the two sets of playersCredit: Reuters
      Cue bedlam from the Forest players led by goalkeeper Dean Henderson and Morgan Gibbs-White.
      The shot-stopper celebrated with the Forest faithful as his midfield team-mate decided to wind up his former team.
      Gibbs-White joined Forest from Wolves last summer and celebrated the win by sliding in front of the travelling faithful and putting his fingers in his ears.
      Manchester United loanee Henderson then bounced up and down with a group of team-mates before a melee broke out between the two sets of players.
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      Gibbs-White appeared to be the target of the Wolves stars’ anger as Henderson and Serge Aurier rushed in to defend their team-mate.
      Wolves centre-back Toti Gomes squared up to the pair before stewards tried the separate the trio.
      Several Forest stars including striker Emmanuel Dennis tried to pull an emotional Gomes away from the situation.
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      Aurier in particular looked very annoyed but was soon calmed down by Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui.
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      Jesse Lingard was also involved in the altercation despite not even being named in the matchday squad.
      It was a sour end to the tie but Forest fans may have enjoyed the spectacle as they celebrated reaching the semi-final of a domestic cup for the first time since 1992.
      They will take on Manchester United in the two-legged tie later this month. More

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      Carabao Cup semi-final full draw LIVE: Man Utd face Forest and Newcastle take on Saints in semi-final – latest

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      THE CARABAO Cup is reaching a thrilling finale, and the semi-final draw has taken place.Manchester United and Newcastle booked their places in the semi-final draw with wins over Charlton and Leicester in the quarter-finals.
      While Man City fell to defeat at Southampton, with Nottingham Forest beating Wolves on penalties to seal their fate!
      And now Southampton host Newcastle in the first leg of the semi-final while Man Utd travel to Nottingham for their last-4 clash.

      FULL DRAW: Nottingham Forest vs Man Utd, Southampton vs Newcastle
      TV: Sky Sports Main Event / Sky Sports Football
      Live Stream: Sky Sports Football’s YouTube channel

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      Keep up to date with the draw with our LIVE blog below…
      Goodnight, football fans
      There you have it, the last-4 has been decided and we know who plays who next.

      Southampton vs Newcastle United
      Nottingham Forest vs Manchester United

      We’re straight back into Premier League action tomorrow as Chelsea travel to Fulham, and we’ll keep you up to date with our live blog ahead of the clash.
      Pep Guardiola: The better team won
      Pep Guardiola has congratulated Nathan Jones and Southampton.
      “The better team won,” he said. “They deserve to be in the semi-finals. They were better than us.
      “We were not ready to play an away game in England. We didn’t have a good process.”
      Reminder of the draw:

      Southampton vs Newcastle
      Nottingham Forest vs Manchester United

      Ilkay Gundogan on what went wrong
      Ilkay Gundogan is speaking to Sky and he believes Man City were not good enough against Southampton.
      “We were not aggressive enough,” he said. “Didn’t win duels. Gave them too many opportunities to play.
      “A lot of mistakes, missed a lot of passes, gave them the ball too easily.”
      When next?
      The semi-final first legs will take place on the week commencing January 23.
      The return matches are played in the following week as we will find out who faces off in the Wembley final. 
      Can Henderson face United?
      According to the EFL, Manchester United must give written consent for Dean Henderson to play against them for Nottingham Forest in the semi-final.
      Dean Henderson’s penalty save put Forest throughCredit: PA
      Rule 6.3 states: “Players registered on a temporary basis will not be eligible to play unless the Club holding his full registration gives its written consent.”
      We’ve seen Fikayo Tomori and Mason Mount face Chelsea in the competition while on loan at Derby in the past.
      Dean Henderson caught in two minds?
      Dean Henderson’s on-loan side Forest will face his parent club Manchester United.
      The goalkeeper left on loan for game time and has been in fine form for the club this season.
      With David De Gea out of contract at the end of the season, Henderson may have an eye on a return to Old Trafford.
      But he’ll want to leave Nottingham with a winners medal in the League Cup, no matter who it upsets.
      Can Forest do the impossible?
      Steve Cooper’s main goal for this season was, and no doubt still is, to remain in the Premier League.
      But now they have one eye on the League Cup. Two good performances against Man Utd will see them at Wembley.
      Time to dream?
      Nathan Jones on Southampton win
      Nathan Jones continues with his rather odd post-match press conference.
      When asked how he’ll celebrate beating Manchester City, he continued to hit back at Southampton fans by saying: “I’ll have 20 seconds with one glass of wine. At least I won’t get any abuse on the way home.”
      More from Nathan Jones
      Very philosophical from Nathan Jones, who is hitting back at his critics.
      “I’ve only just been in the job,” he explained.
      “I had three Premier League games. I’m not David Blane. I understand the frustrations but we are building. Rome wasn’t built in a day, neither was a wonderful Southampton side.”
      He was then asked about his players being booed in recent weeks, to which he replied: “They haven’t been booed as much as I have.”
      Nathan Jones reaction
      Southampton boss Nathan Jones watched on as the draw was made and shrugged when he saw Newcastle come out of the hat.
      After beating Manchester City today, his side will be full of confidence and aware that they can beat anyone on their day.
      He told Sky: “I’m really proud of our football club today. It shows we are building something, that’s the important thing.”
      Giants to meet in final?
      With the draw panning out the way it has, Newcastle and Manchester United have avoided each other.
      They are both battling for the top four in the Premier League this season and could meet in a final at Wembley.
      Forest and Southampton are also battling each other in the league, both seeking survival in a troubling relegation battle.
      We could see them face off in the final. Stranger things have happened.
      ‘A tough task’
      Jill Scott believes that nobody would want to face Newcastle at the moment, stating that the trip to St James’ Park could prove to be tricky for Southampton.
      They will hope to go into the second leg with a good result as they host Eddie Howe’s side first.
      Full draw
      Southampton and Nottingham Forest will host the first leg of their semi-finals.
      Newcastle will face the Saints over two legs, with Manchester United travelling to Forest for the first leg.

      Southampton vs Newcastle
      Nottingham Forest vs Manchester United

      Second semi-final
      Nottingham Forest vs Man Utd
      Out first
      Southampton vs Newcastle
      Ball numbers

      Man Utd – 1
      Newcastle – 2
      Nottingham Forest – 3
      Southampton – 4

      Draw UNDERWAY
      Here we go.
      Nedum Onuoha and Jill Scott are picking the balls out for the draw.
      British manager to lift the cup?
      Out of the four teams left, three are guided by British-born head coaches.
      With the exception of Erik ten Hag, we could see a British coach lift the cup.
      Welsh-born Steve Cooper has taken Forest into the last-4, while Eddie Howe has transformed Newcastle.
      Also from Wales, Nathan Jones has only been at Southampton for the matter of weeks but he coached a fantastic win against serial winners Man City.
      Draw upcoming
      Here we go. The semi-final draw is about to get underway.
      A quick ad break and we’ll find out who faces who in the final four.
      Cup favourites
      Manchester United are favourites to lift the Carabao Cup after Man City’s defeat.
      Eddie Howe’s Newcastle are the second favourites, and the two sides could face each other in the semi-final.
      Nottingham Forest and Southampton are joint outsiders for the trophy.
      James Ward-Prowse: We feel like the old Southampton
      Saints captain James Ward-Prowse is full of praise for under-pressure manager Nathan Jones.
      He believes that the head coach has got the side back to their best, despite not yet registering a win in the Premier League.
      Despite that, they showed fight tonight and are into the last-4 of the Carabao Cup.
      Man City embarrassed
      Today’s loss saw Manchester City fail to register a shot on target for the first time since April 2018.
      However, as pointed out by Sky, they still registered and xG of 1.00 – somehow.
      By my count, Julian Alvarez is unlucky to see his ‘shot’ not count as on target.
      15 minute warning
      Get the kettle on.
      You have 15 minutes until the draw takes place, according to Sky.
      So here’s your warning, get the cuppa in before the draw starts because with just four teams left, blink and it’ll be over.
      Dean Henderson the hero
      Dean Henderson pulled off an incredible save to deny Joe Hodges in the penalty shoot-out at the City Ground.
      The on-loan goalkeeper could face his parent side Manchester United in the semi-finals.
      Dean Henderson was the hero tonightCredit: Reuters
      Load more entries… More

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      Southampton 2 Man City 0: Premier League’s bottom side stun Carabao Cup favourites with first-half double

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      PEP GUARDIOLA warned he had some “ridiculous ideas” up his sleeve for the Manchester derby on Saturday.If they are anything like the ones he employed here, he might want to rethink them.
      Sekou Mara scored his first Southampton goalCredit: Getty
      Moussa Djenepo curled in a second after spotting Stefan Ortega off his lineCredit: AFP
      Pep Guardiola’s decision to field a weakened team backfiredCredit: Reuters
      Guardiola is arguably the finest manager the Premier League has ever seen, though Red Devils’ supporters will no doubt quibble with that.
      Yet he does have the capacity to make the odd tactical tweak that come across as curious, if you’re being kind, and downright weird, if you’re not.
      Normally they happen in the Champions League but he chose to roll a few out in the Carabao Cup too.
      The first was to play Kyle Walker at centre-back, despite Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake sitting on the bench.
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      It backfired as the England right-back was caught out for Southampton’s first goal when youngster Sekou Mara ran across him and brilliantly fired in his first goal in English football.
      Another was having back-up goalkeeper Stefan Ortega stand so far out of his goal.
      Everyone knows City play mesmerising, possession-based football and their twinkle-toed man between the sticks plays a vital part in that.
      Yet to have Ortega wander so far out of his box, as he did long before he was done by a stunning lob from Moussa Djenepo, seemed a gamble.
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      The German stopper was in his box when Djenepo struck his first goal since March 2021 but still a fair way off his line, so always ran the risk of someone catching him out.
      So it proved as Saints pulled off a huge shock, giving Guardiola plenty to stew over ahead of his side’s trip to Old Trafford on Saturday lunchtime.
      Take nothing away from Southampton though, they were outstanding.
      They fought for every ball, they were tactically superb, defensively heroic and took their chances clinically.
      It was the kind of performance that could give Nathan Jones’ tenure the jump-start it so badly needs after four straight league defeats which has left them rock bottom.
      The gloomy mood around the club, prior to this victory, was summed up by the half-hearted applause when new signing Carlos ‘Charly’ Alvarez was paraded before kick-off.
      Yet there were signs of life at the weekend as the South-Coast side came from behind to win at Crystal Palace in the FA Cup.
      And they actually have a decent record against Guardiola’s City, drawing twice last season and winning 1-0 in July 2020.
      City were limited to just one decent chance in the first half when Cole Palmer dispossessed Mohammed Salisu and teed up Ilkay Gundogan, who fired wide.
      But then it was the Southampton show, starting with a fine effort from centre-back Duje Caleta-Car which had Ortega scrambling.
      Che Adams ended a 29-game search for his first goal for the club when he netted a scorcher for that narrow victory over City during Project Restart three years ago.
      Mara’s wait for his maiden Saints strike was not quite so long at 16 matches, having arrived from Bordeaux in the summer.
      Yet the pure joy on his face as he smashed in Lyanco’s pinpoint cross at the near post, having escaped Walker, suggested it was worth the wait.
      Animated Jones was kicking every ball on the touchline and high-fived Lyanco in celebration.
      Self-deprecating fans taunted the champions with a chant of “How s*** must you be, we’re winning at home”.
      But the belief grew around the ground the more their organised side put Guardiola’s on the back foot.
      As Southampton went in for half-time to raucous applause, Guardiola knew something had to be done.
      He took action with a triple substitution bringing on Akanji and Ake for Walker and Sergio Gomez in defence, as well as Kevin De Bruyne for Palmer.
      When Julian Alvarez fired a decent opportunity wide of the far post, Guardiola went further as he replaced Jack Grealish for Erling Haaland.
      The Norwegian had been set for a two-game break ahead of the Manchester derby having sat out the 4-0 drubbing of Chelsea in the FA Cup on Sunday.
      But needs must, and Haaland was needed here.
      All City’s subs were used up by the 62nd minute as Kalvin Phillips’ first start was ended and Rodri introduced.
      Yet the nearest Haaland got to a 28th goal of the season was a half-chance which he hooked over.
      City’s No9 was then serenaded by cheeky home chants of “You’re just a s*** Rickie Lambert”.
      It was a night where nothing went right for City, who had won this competition six times in the last nine years.
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      Though you could not help but feel some of it was self-inflicted.
      Don’t be surprised if Guardiola resorts to tried and tested on Saturday in a bid to go from the ridiculous back to the sublime. More