PREVIEW: Sky Blues head to Southampton

Trip to the South Coast for FA Cup clash...

4 February 2022

The Sky Blues are set to face Southampton at St Mary's Stadium in the FA Cup Fourth Round. Here's everything you need to know about our opponents.

Fact File

Name: Southampton F.C
Founded: 1885
Stadium: St Mary’s Stadium
Capacity: 32,505
Nickname: The Saints
Address: Britannia Road, Southampton, SO14 5FPPitch Size: 115 x 74 yards

The Opposition

The Saints current sit 12th in the Premier League, just over half-way through the league campaign.

Set-piece specialist James Ward-Prowse leads the goal-scoring charts with six, shortly followed by Chelsea loanee Armando Broja (5), and Scotland international Che Adams (4).

Southampton’s only January transfer addition was ex-Manchester City and Chelsea goalkeeper Willy Caballero, signed to play between the sticks whilst the Saints were without other first team ‘keepers unavailable.

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Manager: Ralph Hasenhüttl

Austrian-born Ralph Hasenhüttl started off his career in his home country with spells at Grazer AK, Austria Wien, and Austria Salzburg.

The centre-forward moved to Belgium afterwards, turning out for KV Mechelen and Lierse, where he continued to bag goals in his two-year Belgian trip.

A move to Germany followed, signing for FC Koln and appearing for Greuther Furth and Bayern Munich II thereafter, rounding off his 19-year playing career.

Hasenhüttl was also capped for his country 8 times, scoring 3 goals for Das Team.

Management was Hasenhüttl’s next step, as he continued in Germany with SpVgg Unterhaching, VFR Aalen, and FC Ingolstadt 04, between 2007 and 2016.

In May 2016, Hasenhüttl was appointed manager of newly-promoted RB Leipzig and led the Red Bull side to a second-place finish in their first Bundesliga season, followed by a sixth-place run the following year.

In December 2018, Southampton announced Hasenhüttl as their new manager, succeeding Mark Hughes, with the club in the Premier League relegation zone.

The Austrian has managed to maintain The Saints’ top-flight status since his appointment, winning Premier League Manager of the Month for July 2020 along the way.

Last Six Games

Draw - Southampton 1-1 Manchester City (Premier League)
Lost - Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-1 Southampton (Premier League)
Win - Southampton 4-1 Brentford (Premier League)
Win - Swansea 2-3 Southampton (FA Cup)
Draw - Southampton 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur (Premier League)
Win - West Ham 2-3 Southampton (Premier League)

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Last Time We Met

This weekend’s meeting will be the first between the sides in nearly ten years.

The last time the Sky Blues met the Saints dates back to April 2012, where the two clashed in the Championship on the final day of the season.

An Adam Lallana double, with other goals from Billy Sharp and Jos Hooiveld sealed a four-goal win for Southampton, confirming their promotion to the Premier League, as they secured a second-place finish.

Sky Blues XI: Joe Murphy (GK), Chris Hussey, Jordan Willis, Martin Cranie (Joe Henderson 72’), Jordan Clarke, Carl Baker, Gael Bigirimana (Shaun Jeffers 46’), Oliver Norwood, Connor Thomas, Gary McSheffrey (Will Roberts 34’), Cody McDonald.

Unused Subs: Clive Platt, Chris Dunn.

Head-to-Head Record

Sky Blues wins - 49
Draws - 45
Southampton wins - 47

Club Connection: Adam Armstrong

24-year-old Adam Armstrong enjoyed a fruitful loan spell with the Sky Blues during the 2015/16 season, hitting the back of the net 20 times in 40 goals.

Newcastle-born Armstrong started off his professional career at his hometown club, with loan spells at Coventry, Barnsley, Bolton Wanderers, and Blackburn Rovers over a four year span until 2018, where he then left Newcastle United on a permanent deal to Blackburn.

In three years with Rovers, the Geordie scored 64 goals in 160 games, across League One and the Championship, before earning a move to Premier League side Southampton.

The forward has been a live wire for the Saints, since joining at the start of the season, contributing to five goals in the top-flight.

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Match Officials

Tony Harrington is the referee for the weekend’s clash and is yet to officiate the Sky Blues this season.

Simon Beck and Matthew Wilkes will assist as linesmen, with Matthew Donohue as the fourth official.

With the game taking place at a Premier League ground, VAR will be in operation with Kevin Friend in charge of the system.

Match Previews

Match Reports

REPORT: Southampton 2-1 Sky Blues

A valiant display by the Sky Blues...

5 February 2022

The Sky Blues narrowly fell to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Premier League Southampton at St Mary's, having pushed the Saints into extra-time in the FA Cup Fourth Round.

The Sky Blues came racing out the blocks, with Viktor Gyökeres bursting forward, followed by Josh Eccles’ long-range to force a save from Willy Caballero.

A neat corner routine, crafted by James Ward-Prowse, found its way to Theo Walcott, whose strike was equally met by Simon Moore, as the Saints looked to respond to City’s early surge.

However, the opening goal was nearly that of the Sky Blues, when Jake Bidwell’s whipped cross sent Thierry Small into panic mode, nearly causing the youngster to head the ball into his own net.

Minutes later, the Sky Blues broke the deadlock after a stunning one-two, orchestrated by Ben Sheaf, sent Gyökeres one-on-one with Caballero, leaving the Swede to cooly dispatch to put City ahead.

On his return to the side, Ian Maatsen came inches away from doubling the score, on two occasions, rifling a volley over the bar, before finding space 18-yards-out and dragging his shot narrowly wide of the post.

HALF-TIME: Southampton 0-1 Sky Blues

Looking to edge their way back into the tie, Southampton had a flurry of chances to kick-start the half, pinning the Sky Blues in their own half.

Saints substitute Stuart Armstrong levelled the contest, just past the hour mark, with a spectacular long-range strike.

The Sky Blues’ continued to weather the storm and carved out a chance of their own, which fell to Martyn Waghorn, but Caballero showed his quality, standing tall and palming away the danger.

With the game running into the final stages of regulation time, neither side were able to find the tie-winning goal, sending the match to extra-time.

FULL-TIME: Southampton 1-1 Sky Blues

Tired legs started to set in beyond the 90 minute mark, as both sides looked for a cup hero.

Southampton found theirs in Kyle Walker-Peters, whose effort cruely deflected off a Sky Blues defender and squeezed past Moore into the far corner.

Waghorn had the ball in the back of the net in the final seconds of extra-time, only for the finish to be chalked off for an offside call, as the Sky Blues agonisingly fell to defeat.

FULL-TIME (ET): Southampton 2-1 Sky Blues

SCORERS: Viktor Gyökeres (22’), Stuart Armstrong (63’), Kyle Walker-Peters (112')

CARDS: Josh Eccles (41’), Gustavo Hamer (45’), Ben Sheaf (58’), Tino Livramento (78’), Todd Kane (104'), Jake Clarke-Salter (117')

ATTENDANCE: 30,512

Southampton XI: Willy Caballero (GK), Tino Livramento (Oriol Romeu 90'), Yan Valery, Lyanco (Nathan Redmond 34’), Jack Stephens, Thierry Small (Kyle Walker-Peters 46’), Ibrahima Dialla, James Ward-Prowse (C), Theo Walcott (Armando Broja 64’), Adam Armstrong (Stuart Armstrong 46’), Shane Long.

Unused Subs: Harry Lewis (GK), Che Adams, Mohammed Salisu, Mohamed Elyounoussi.

Sky Blues XI: Simon Moore (GK), Jake Clarke-Salter, Michael Rose, Callum O'Hare (Jodi Jones 89’), Ben Sheaf, Dom Hyam (C), Viktor Gyökeres, Ian Maatsen (Jordan Shipley 64’), Jake Bidwell (Todd Kane 73’), Josh Eccles (Martyn Waghorn 73’), Gustavo Hamer (Jamie Allen 73’).

Unused Subs: Ben Wilson (GK), Kyle McFadzean, Fabio Tavares, Ryan Howley.

Match Reports

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