Manchester City have booked their place in the FA Cup semi-finals courtesy of a 4-1 victory away at Southampton on Sunday afternoon.
Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez were all on the scoresheet, helping the Citizens reach the final four for the fourth time in the last five years.
Just moments after Adam Armstrong hit the post for the Saints, City went up the other end and broke the deadlock in the 11th minute, with Raheem Sterling slotting a right-footed strike past Fraser Forster from 10 yards out.
Ilkay Gundogan came close to adding a second in the 26th minute but his right-footed effort from inside the six yard box smacked the post.
Southampton responded well and were the better side heading towards the break, pressing the visitors high and posing a constant threat in the final third, which City's backline struggled to deal with.
Their efforts were eventually rewarded when they restored parity in first-half stoppage time, after Aymeric Laporte deflected Mohammed Elyounoussi's cross from the right flank into his own net.
The second half became a terrific end-to-end FA Cup tie with both sides pushing to take the lead, but it was the Citizens who managed to turn the screw, with Pep Guardiola's substitutes in particular adding a clinical edge to help them get over the line.
In the 62nd minute, Southampton's Mohammed Salisu was penalised for a clumsy challenge on Gabriel Jesus inside the penalty area, with De Bruyne dispatching the resulting spot kick to restore City's lead.
Two goals in three minutes from City's substitutes Foden and Mahrez then put the visitors out of sight, the former rifling a brilliant 20-yard strike beyond Forster before the latter fizzed a left-footed effort low and hard into the bottom-right corner.
Guardiola's men were certainly tested by Ralph Hasenhuttl's spirited side, but their quality in the final third saw them march on to victory at St Mary's and their name will now be in the hat for tonight's semi-final draw.
Oliver Thomas
