Man City Rally Late to Beat Southampton 2-1, Reach FA Cup Final

Manchester City produced a late comeback to defeat Southampton 2-1 on Saturday, securing a place in a fourth successive FA Cup final.

Nico Gonzalez scored a decisive long-range goal three minutes from time after Jeremy Doku had earlier equalised for City.

Southampton had taken a shock lead in the closing stages through Finn Azaz, who curled a superb strike into the top corner with 11 minutes remaining.

The Saints were aiming for their first FA Cup final appearance since 2003 but were unable to hold off City’s late surge.

Pep Guardiola’s side will meet either Leeds United or Chelsea in the final on May 16.

“No team has made four finals in a row. It’s extraordinary and hopefully we can arrive with a good momentum,” Guardiola said.

The result ended Southampton’s 20-game unbeaten run and denied them another trip to Wembley, despite their earlier victory over Arsenal.

City, who made eight changes from their recent win over Burnley, struggled in the first half and had an early effort ruled out for offside.

They improved significantly after the break, with Guardiola introducing key players from the bench to break down Southampton’s defence.

Omar Marmoush missed a clear opportunity before being substituted, while goalkeeper Daniel Peretz kept City at bay with a crucial save.

Southampton capitalised on a rare attack as Kuryu Matsuki assisted Azaz’s strike to give them the lead.

But City responded quickly, with Doku’s shot deflecting past Peretz before Gonzalez’s powerful finish completed the comeback.

The win keeps City in contention for a domestic treble, replicating their success from the 2018/19 season.

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