Key Takeaways
- Manchester City scored twice in five minutes to beat Southampton 2-1 at Wembley.
- Nico González’s long-range winner sent City to a record fourth straight FA Cup final.
- City will face either Leeds United or Chelsea in the May final as they chase a treble.
Manchester City kept their dream of a treble alive with a late comeback to defeat second-tier Southampton 2-1 in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on Saturday.
City looked flat for long spells and fell behind in the 79th minute when Finn Azaz spun on the edge of the box and bent a fine shot past keeper James Trafford.
Yet the setback woke Pep Guardiola’s side up. Belgian winger Jérémy Doku levelled three minutes later when his low drive took a deflection off James Bree and rolled in.
With extra-time looming, Spanish midfielder Nico González settled the tie in the 87th minute. Picking up a loose ball 25 metres out, he smashed an unstoppable shot into the top-left corner.
The victory books City a return to Wembley next month and a shot at a fourth straight FA Cup crown. They will meet either Leeds United or Chelsea, who play their semi-final on Sunday.
Guardiola rested eight starters from the mid-week league win at Burnley, handing a first start of the season to Mateo Kovačić. The reshuffle showed early on, as Phil Foden and Tijjani Reijnders both had efforts cleared off the line while Southampton also had a goal ruled out for offside.
Southampton, chasing a first final appearance since their famous 1976 triumph, defended deep and threatened on the break. Tom Fellows forced a last-ditch tackle from Nathan Aké, and Ross Stewart stung Trafford’s palms.
City poured forward after the interval. Savinho, Doku, Erling Haaland and teenager Nico O’Reilly all entered the fray, and the pressure finally told when González’s thunderbolt sparked wild celebrations among the sky-blue end.
The win keeps City in the hunt for three trophies. They lifted the Carabao Cup in March and sit just behind Arsenal in the Premier League with five matches left.
