In his playing days Mark Hughes could never be accused of being second best – but that's how he described his Stoke side as they crashed out of the Carabao Cup.
Two second-half goals by Famara Diedhiou and Matty Taylor were the least that Championship surprise package Bristol City deserved despite themselves making nine changes.
And Hughes, who picked his first choice defence for a competition he believed his side could do well in, struggled to hide his anger.
'We have to be better than that,' he said.