MX23RW : Sunday, November 24 08:02:13| >> :120:34245:34245:

Ralph Hasenhuttl wants Southampton to tackle Manchester City head on

Ralph Hasenhuttl wants Southampton to tackle Manchester City head on
© Reuters
Pep Guardiola's men have chalked up 16 goals in their three home games so far.

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl wants his team to relish going up against the "pure football" of Pep Guardiola's Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

City's 6-3 Champions League victory over RB Leipzig, one of Hasenhuttl's former clubs, saw them chalk up 16 goals across three home games so far this season.

First Norwich and then Arsenal were swept aside 5-0 as City delivered the perfect response to opening with a Premier League defeat at Tottenham, since when Guardiola's men have won four straight games.

Hasenhuttl accepts extending Southampton's current unbeaten league run after three successive draws will be a tall order given the calibre of opposition.

Yet it is a challenge which the Austrian intends to tackle head on.

"It is pure football, pure Premier League, it is the highest level and this is why you want to do this job," Hasenhuttl said.

"You know how tough it is, this is the challenge and the thing we like.

"To surprise Pep is quite hard, because he always finds the answers, but our goal is to keep the game open as long as possible.

"I know Pep will come with everything they have, it will be tough to compete, but we have also some qualities.

"This is why the Premier League is so special, every weekend you face fantastic opponents and very experienced managers.

"The feeling before a game is a mixture of enjoying what is to come, high respect about the opponent, but always hoping for the big surprise for everybody.

"We go there with a good balance of braveness and respect."

Despite all of City's attacking talent – with £100million signing Jack Grealish having scored a well-taken goal on his Champions League debut – Hasenhuttl knows Southampton cannot afford just to sit back in damage limitation mode.

"We always try to give our opponents a few moments where they have to worry about us," he said.

"But in the end it will not help only to press high and it will also not help to stay always around the box.

"We have seen different ways of teams playing against and everybody tried something else, but very often, City had also in the end the win.

"Nobody expects that we now take the first win against Man City, but this is also the chance, when you can go there without a big pressure for the win.

"The next two away games are definitely maybe the most difficult in this season, against Man City and then against Chelsea, but we must be ready for it.

"We had a good week to prepare, this is all we can do and then we must show the best possible performance."

Southampton will have Republic of Ireland striker Shane Long available again after he recovered from a positive Covid-19 test while on international duty.

Midfielder Will Smallbone has stepped up his recovery after a long-term knee problem, but, along with winger Theo Walcott and Stuart Armstrong, will not be rushed into a return.

Hasenhuttl said: "We give them all the time they need to come back, because we have enough alternatives, especially for these positions."

ID:464133:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect4277:

Click here for more stories about Ralph Hasenhuttl

Click here for more stories about Manchester City

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl pictured on September 11, 2021
Read Next:
Ralph Hasenhuttl knows Southampton need to be 'perfect' against Manchester City
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
6pm
Vikings
@
Bears
6pm
Lions
@
Colts
6pm
Patriots
@
Dolphins
6pm
Buccaneers
@
Giants
6pm
Chiefs
@
Panthers
6pm
Titans
@
Texans
6pm
Cowboys
@
Washington
9.05pm
Broncos
@
Raiders
9.25pm
49ers
@
Packers
9.25pm
Cardinals
@
Seahawks
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool119112161528
2Manchester CityMan City127232217523
3Chelsea126422314922
4Arsenal126422112922
5Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton126422116522
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs1261527131419
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest125431513219
8Aston Villa125431919019
9Newcastle UnitedNewcastle115331311218
10Fulham125341717018
11Brentford125252222017
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd114341212015
13Bournemouth124351617-115
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham113351319-612
15Everton122551017-711
16Leicester CityLeicester122461523-810
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves122372028-89
18Crystal Palace121561017-78
19Ipswich TownIpswich111551222-108
20Southampton11119721-144


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!