FA Cup adds game-changing rule tweak to Man City battle at Southampton

Manchester City struggle against some opponents more than others, and Southampton have been a particular thorn in their side for years. There’s obviously the infamous Nathan Redmond incident with Pep Guardiola but since Ralph Hasenhuttl took charge on the south coast the Blues have found it particularly tough.

This season, City failed to win either of their league meetings and were fortunate in the home game to have VAR overturn a second-half penalty that they conceded. Hasenhuttl is one of the most intelligent managers in the league and his style of play is everything that Guardiola’s City don’t like to face.

Unlike those who see a fixture with the champions as one to endure, the German gives his side a gameplan to take something from every encounter and the belief to pull it off. That’s why, for example, they beat City in July 2020 when the manager clocked that Ederson was pressing up to help with the build-up and instructed his players to force a mistake and then lob the keeper.

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Southampton pride themselves on disrupting City's rhythm and breaking up their momentum. That's why, for example, those lengthy VAR checks towards the end of their 1-1 draw in January - both of which went in their favour - really helped them out because the Blues had been getting closer and closer to another winner.

As Hasenhuttl said last year: "It’s important that you get rid of the pressure they put on you sometimes, like a boxer hanging on the ropes, conceding one hit after another. You have to come out and also let them run sometimes."

One intriguing change for their third meeting of this season is the fact that five substitutions can be made in the FA