Saints seek redemption – but City await

Captain vows team will atone for 9-0 drubbing Next up are two matches against Guardiola’s men

Pierre-emile Hojbjerg says Southampton must show on the pitch they are truly sorry for the 9-0 humiliation by Leicester, starting with two trips to Manchester City.

Captain Hojbjerg has apologised and vowed to prevent a repeat of the heaviest defeat in the south coast club’s 133-year history, while manager Ralph Hasenhuttl took full responsibility for Friday evening’s debacle.

Southampton’s’ task in making immediate amends for the drubbing will be anything but easy, as they face Pep Guardiola’s City in the Carabao Cup fourth round tonight before returning to the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday. Midfielder Hojbjerg, who is unconcerned by the quality of opposition, believes talk is cheap and producing vastly improved performances is the only way to atone for the embarrassment.

“If there is one saying it’s, ‘tough periods make tough people’,” said Hojbjerg, according to the Southern Daily Echo. “I can try and say something, but it won’t change anything. I don’t want to speak, I want to show by action. I don’t care who is coming up. Our actions have to speak. We never want to be in this position again or anywhere near it. We have to get back up and make sure this never happens again.

“We can put quotes out, apologise and say something, but the only thing that’s the real deal now is actions.”

Southampton’s first-team players and coaching staff will each donate one day’s wages to the Saints Foundation after capitulating to the joint-worst loss of the Premier League era. Manager Hasenhuttl says his team cannot dwell on the Leicester fiasco and need to concentrate “entire energy” on Guardiola’s reigning champions and League Cup holders.

“After this, no more talking from us, no more messages – the time for that is over,” he said in a post on the club’s Twitter account. “Our only focus is working towards Manchester City. This is where we must direct our entire energy, and this is what we owe to our fans.”

Southampton have not won away at City for more than 15 years.

Left-back Ryan Bertrand begins a three-match ban following his sending-off against Leicester, while full-back Cedric Soares, who has a calf injury, and winger Moussa Djenepo (hip/thigh) are not expected to return.