Manchester City faced a significant challenge from Southampton in the FA Cup but managed to come back from a deficit to win 2-1, securing their spot in the final for the fourth consecutive year. Despite being a Championship team, Southampton put up a strong defense against City, and it seemed they might pull off a major upset when Finn Azaz scored with 11 minutes left, putting them ahead. However, City persisted, and their determination paid off when Jeremy Doku's deflected shot equalized the score on 82 minutes. Man City: Trafford (7), Nunes (7), Stones (7), Ake (7), Ait-Nouri (7), Nico (9), Kovacic (8), Reijnders (7), Cherki (7), Foden (6), Marmoush (6) Subs used: Doku (8), Haaland (7), Silva (7), Savinho (7) Southampton: Peretz (7), Bree (7), Harwood Bellis (8), Wood (8), Wellington (7), Jander (8), Bragg (7), Azaz (8), Fellows (7), Sczienza (7), Stewart (7) Subs used: Jarin (7), Charles (7), Matsuki (7) Player of the match: Nico Gonzalez Just when it seemed the game was headed for extra time, Nico Gonzalez stepped up with a Premier League-caliber performance, scoring a stunning goal from 25 yards out that sealed the win for City.

For a brief moment, Southampton dared to dream of emulating their 1976 FA Cup heroes by returning to the final on the 50th anniversary of that victory, but it was City's quest for a treble that remained on track. City will face either Leeds or Chelsea in the final, while Southampton returns to the intense Championship promotion race, with a match against Ipswich scheduled for midweek.

According to Sky Sports' Zinny Boswell at Wembley Stadium: Download the Sky Sports App Get Sky Sports on WhatsApp "The game came alive in the final 20 minutes, producing a thrilling conclusion. "It was devastating for Southampton, who had put up a tenacious defensive display.

Their 20-match unbeaten streak came to an end, along with their FA Cup aspirations. "City would have hoped for a less demanding match to conserve energy for the Premier League title run-in, but responding in such a manner will significantly boost their momentum.

"Guardiola's substitutions, particularly Doku, significantly impacted the game in their favor, putting them within reach of a domestic treble. That would be a remarkable achievement in a season where many had written them off." When asked about City being on the cusp of a domestic treble, Guardiola replied: "No, it's too much. That's far away. "Before the FA Cup final and the Aston Villa game, I'll tell you if there's a chance.

For now, it's not. It's far, far away.

"It's crucial for the players to have three days off, and I've told them not to think about football. They need to rest.

Then we start a season of five games plus the FA Cup final." Southampton manager Tonda Eckert, looking ahead to Tuesday's match against Ipswich: "It will be a test of maturity for us to put this game behind us as quickly as possible, because we need another top performance on Tuesday. "We need to make some decisions for the game on Tuesday, and we'll dive into it more tomorrow. I'm sure we'll have a very good team on the pitch that's ready to perform. "I think that when you start to build momentum as a team and as a group, you need to do everything to win games.

Sometimes, that gives you more energy than trying to save a player or conserve five percent here or there. "It's relentless at this stage of the season. Our approach has always been the same: we try to put the best team out there that we think gives us the highest chance of winning, and that's not going to change." Play Super 6 for a chance to win £250k! Enter for free.