ILKAY GUNDOGAN says Manchester City will show no mercy on stricken Southampton in their double header this week.
The red-faced Saints were thumped 9-0 on their own patch by rampant Leicester in front of a live television audience on Friday night.
And there is no hiding place as they go to the Etihad twice in the next five days, starting in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.
That is swiftly followed by a return to the home of the champions for a daunting Premier League clash on Saturday.
It is probably the last place Ralph Hasenhuttl wanted to take his players as he looks to pick up the pieces from the record-equalling defeat.
But Gundogan says City will need to be wary of a backlash.
And having won this competition three times in the last four years, he says his team are keen to lift it once again.
The German said: I dont think Southampton will be full of confidence. They might be defending really deep, with a lot of passion. We need to be prepared, we need to be ready to play them a couple of times in a row.
Its not going to be easy, especially for their last result.
They will probably want to prove everyone that they are not a bad team. I think its going to be even more difficult but we are going to work hard to get the two wins.
Manager Pep Guardiola saw the way it all unravelled for Saints after the VAR dismissal of Ryan Bertrand on Friday.
But he does not expect them to bear much resemblance to the team who completely fell to pieces against the Foxes.
The City chief said: Its not easy but they are incredible professionals.
The manager will be sad for one night but after that they have to move forward.
They will try to do their best so I am not going to judge them on, or prepare to play against them, based on what happened against Leicester, so its a little bit strange.
Red card, first goal, and then every time they arrive in the first minutes, goal goal. But its different competitions, the Carabao and the Premier League. And we will face a good team.
Guardiola could turn to young centre-backs Eric Garcia, 18, and 17-year-old Taylor Harwood-Bellis as he has to manage without the suspended Fernandinho and injured Rodri and Aymeric Laporte.
Phil Foden will be hoping for another start after impressing when he got the nod against Atalanta last week.
Saints players and staff all donated a days wages, adding up to 230,000, to charity to apologise for the Foxes debacle.
Hasenhuttl plans wholesale changes, with goalkeeper Angus Gunn and defender Jannik Vestergaard among those set for the chop.
The shell-shocked Austrian said: For everybody it was a very disappointing evening.
It is crazy to say this now but we invested a lot in training during the week and had a good feeling for this game. I have never had an experience like this in my entire career.
But Hasenhuttl insists he is not a quitter and has been assured by the clubs Chinese owners his job is safe.
Asked about fans calling for his head, he added: I can understand that.
Our only focus is working towards Manchester City. This is where we must direct our entire energy and this is what we owe our fans.
