Manchester City faced a significant challenge from Southampton in the FA Cup but managed to come from behind and secure a 2-1 victory, advancing to their fourth consecutive FA Cup final. The Championship leaders, Southampton, kept City at bay before taking the lead with 11 minutes remaining, courtesy of Finn Azaz's curled effort.

However, City persisted and eventually leveled the score through Jeremy Doku's deflected effort on 82 minutes. The match seemed destined for extra time, but Nico Gonzalez intervened with a stunning strike from 25 yards, securing the win for City.

For a brief period, Southampton had envisioned emulating their 1976 FA Cup heroes by returning to the final on the 50th anniversary of that triumph, but it was City's treble aspirations that remained intact. City will face either Leeds or Chelsea in the final, while Southampton will shift their focus to the Championship promotion race, starting with a midweek match against Ipswich.

According to Sky Sports' Zinny Boswell at Wembley Stadium: "The game burst into life in the final 20 minutes, producing a thrilling finale. "It was devastating for Southampton, who delivered a tenacious defensive display.

Their 20-match unbeaten run came to an end, along with their FA Cup ambitions. "City would have preferred a less demanding game to conserve energy for the Premier League title run-in, but their response will significantly boost their momentum. "Guardiola's substitutions, particularly Doku, greatly influenced the game in their favor, putting them within reach of a domestic treble.

This would be a remarkable achievement in a season where many had ruled them out." When asked about City's prospects of achieving a domestic treble, Guardiola replied: "No, it's too much. That's still far away. "Before the FA Cup final and the Aston Villa game, I'll assess our chances. For now, it's not a concern.

It's still far away. "It's essential for the players to have three days off, and I've told them to rest and not think about football. Then, we'll begin a season of five games plus the FA Cup final." Southampton manager Tonda Eckert, looking ahead to Tuesday's match against Ipswich, stated: "It will be a test of maturity for us to put this game behind us as quickly as possible, as we need another top performance on Tuesday.

"We need to make some decisions for the game on Tuesday, and we'll delve into it further tomorrow. I'm confident that we'll have a strong team on the pitch, ready to perform. "If you start to build momentum as a team and as a group, I believe you need to do everything to win games. Sometimes, this gives you more energy than trying to conserve players and save a few percent here and there.

"It's relentless at this stage of the season. Our approach has always been the same: we try to field the best team that gives us the highest chance of winning, and that won't change." Play Super 6 for a chance to win £250k! Enter for free.