CITY SLICKERS
Southampton 1 Man City 4: Second-half show secures FA Cup semi-final spot at Wembley for Pep Guardiola’s champions
ST MARY’S has been dreamland for Pep Guardiola since the very beginning.
It was here Gabriel Jesus scored a 94th minute winner on the final day of the 2017/18 campaign for a record 100 Premier League points as Pep Guardiola lifted his first league title with the club.
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Almost four years on – two more Prem titles, one FA Cup and four League cups later – and this stadium is now where City kept alive their hopes of an historic Treble.
Pep has already won a domestic Treble during his reign at the Etihad, of course, claiming the Prem as well as the FA Cup and League Cup in 2019.
Joyless football cynics will remind you however that is not a ‘true’ Treble – one that has only been done by their Manchester rivals in 1999: the Prem, FA Cup and Champions League.
But after Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez sunk Southampton to book yet another FA Cup semi-final, those cynics may soon be eating their own words.
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Not that this was a vintage City display – like ones seen during that incredible 2017/18 season – and Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Saints will feel they could have gone ahead after Aymeric Laporte’s own-goal brought them level before half time.
But Pep has now lost just once here in seven visits as City boss.
He loves this place so much he may even send a victory bus via the south coast if that Treble is achieved.
Four changes from both sides for this one was no surprise – especially after a sub-less goalless draw against Crystal Palace left Guardiola raging.
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Foden, Mahrez and Bernardo Silva all dropped to the bench while cup-keeper Zack Steffan stepped in once more.
The Saints meanwhile were coming off the back of three straight league losses, meaning a new-look front two of Shane Long and Adam Armstrong.
And it was that front two that caused City’s defence issues from the off with their rapid pace and cute link-up play.
Sterling made a rare start and had an eye for a shot early on – firing two efforts goalwards inside the opening 10 minutes.
And Sterling soon opened the scoring at the third time of asking shortly after an agonising moment at the other end for striker Armstrong.
Livramento showed his tenacity to win the ball high up the pitch before Oriel Romeu slotted Armstrong in who then knocked it past an onrushing Steffan.
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The ball bobbled into the inside of the post – and less than two minutes later City pounced on a mistake by Stephens after he mistimed a woeful clearance in the box.
Gabriel Jesus reacted quickest, squaring it for Sterling to grab his first goal in over a month.
Hasenhuttl – suited and booted for the occasion – urged his side to respond and they did with ruthless aggression.
The Austrian coach had admitted pre-match he would pay to watch this City side – but it was his Saints boys who were putting on a display worth forking out for.
Long and Armstrong continued to hound and press but for a lack of a killer instinct, and were almost made to pay again only for Ilkay Gundogan to smack Fraser Forster’s post.
It looked as though City may put this game to bed before the break, but the opposite happened thanks to a comical own goal by Laporte in first half injury time.
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Space behind the City backline was found again, this time through Mohamed Elyounoussi who lured Steffan out before attempting a low cross that bounced in off Laporte’s knee.
Guardiola was brewing hard in his dug-out, aggressively sipping a water bottle that one can imagine was flung across the walls of the away dressing room at half time.
It failed to have the desired effect as City looked flat in the opening stages of the second half – encouraging Southampton to make this an end-to-end FA Cup classic.
Armstrong and James Ward-Prowse both stung the gloves of Steffan from distance, yet this appeared to spark something in City.
A Joao Cancelo cross found its way through to Grealish only for his lay-off to Kevin De Bruyne to be hacked away before Sterling was wasteful after cutting in from the left.
City needed a break, and they got it thanks to an idiotic challenge by Mohamed Salisu who clipped the heels of Jesus just inside his box.
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Mike Dean pointed to the spot and De Bruyne gobbled it up, even if it only just squirmed through Forster’s glove.
Hasenhuttl responded by bringing on Che Adams and Armando Broja as Saints pushed for another leveller – and it should have come through Adams.
A stunning cross-field whack by Ward-Prowse found Elyounoussi unmarked on the left. A low cross found Adams with just the keeper to beat but Steffan spread himself well.
Dreams of more drama were ended however as City turned on the style.
Foden came off the bench to punish more poor defending with a thumper of a strike into Forster’s right corner in the 75th minute.
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A cherry on the cake came from another sub in Mahrez – finishing a fine team move four minutes later.
Those that are still dreaming don light blue shirts. That Treble is edging closer.
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