Preview: Manchester City vs Southampton - prediction, team news, lineups

Two teams who have slayed Arsenal in recent weeks lock horns at Wembley Stadium on Saturday evening, as Premier League title hopefuls Manchester City take on Championship high-flyers Southampton in the FA Cup semi-finals.

Victory for either side will see them progress to the competition’s showpiece on May 16, where they will face either Chelsea or Leeds United.

Match preview

For the first time since August, Man City are sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League table, but a wasteful performance in Wednesday’s slender 1-0 win over Burnley was tinged with regret after failing to build a goal-difference cushion over title rivals Arsenal – scoring just one goal from 28 shots at Turf Moor.

Nevertheless, Pep Guardiola’s troops have boosted their hopes of winning a seventh top-flight crown in 10 years under the Catalan coach and have put together a five-game winning streak in all competitions, including a statement 4-0 home triumph over Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals earlier this month.

Man City, who beat Exeter City (10-1), Salford City (2-0) and Newcastle United (3-1) in the previous three rounds, are now gearing up for a record eighth consecutive FA Cup semi-final and will attempt to become the first team in the competition’s history to reach a fourth final in a row.

Losing finalists from the last two seasons, Man City have been a dominant force in the FA Cup over the years, winning the most matches (44), scoring the most goals (157) and keeping the most clean sheets (28) since the 2016-17 campaign.

The seven-time FA Cup winners, still eyeing up a domestic treble this season, have also won each of their last 21 FA Cup games against teams from outside the Premier League, scoring a whopping 84 goals and conceding only 11 in the process.

However, Saturday’s opponents Southampton will take some comfort from the fact that City have lost six of their seven FA Cup ties under Guardiola at Wembley – the other was at the DW Stadium against Wigan back in February 2018.

Fifty years on from winning the FA Cup as an old Second Division team, beating Manchester United 1-0 in the 1976 final thanks to a memorable goal from Bobby Stokes, Southampton return to Wembley this weekend aiming to topple yet another Manchester powerhouse and become the first second-tier side in nearly two decades to reach the final.

The Saints have progressed the semis after winning in each of the previous four rounds by a one-goal margin, with victories over Doncaster Rovers (3-2), Leicester City (2-1 A.E.T) and Fulham (1-0) followed by a stunning 2-1 home triumph over Arsenal earlier this month, with former Man City academy player Shea Charles netting an 85th-minute winner.

Southampton have transformed under head coach Tonda Eckert and have put together an exceptional 20-game unbeaten run across all competitions (W16 D4), scoring two or more goals in 13 of those matches. Their eight-game winning streak was brought to an end on Tuesday, though, as they were left frustrated by Roy Hodgson’s Bristol City in a 2-2 Championship draw at St Mary’s

Nevertheless, the Saints remain fourth in the table and within touching distance of the automatic promotion spots – a remarkable feat considering they were languishing in 20th when Eckert took the reins. While a Premier League return is arguably the club's ultimate objective from this position, the chance to reach an FA Cup final in this landmark anniversary year offers a shot at immortality that no league standing can rival.

Not since 2003 have Southampton competed in the FA Cup final, and they have unwanted history with struggling to reach the famous showpiece, having been knocked out in nine of their 13 semi-final ties, most recently losing to Leicester in 2020-21. Interestingly, eight of the nine sides to knock the Saints out in the semis went on to lift the trophy – the exception being Arsenal back in 1926-27.

Success at Wembley has also been hard to come by for Southampton, as they have lost eight of their 11 matches played at the home of football (W3), including their last two FA Cup semi-finals. Meanwhile, the Saints have lost 13 of their last 18 meetings with Man City across all tournaments (W2 D3), so they will need to defy both historical trends and recent head-to-head form if they are to produce another FA Cup giant-killing.

Manchester City FA Cup form:

Manchester City form (all competitions):

Southampton FA Cup form:

Southampton form (all competitions):

Team News

Man City will have to cope without key midfielder Rodri, who missed the midweek win at Burnley after sustaining a groin injury in last weekend’s victory over Arsenal. Josko Gvardiol (tibial fracture) and Ruben Dias (ankle) also remain in the treatment room.

If the absence of Rodri, Guardiola may consider sticking with rising star Nico O’Reilly in centre-midfield alongside outgoing captain Bernardo Silva, though Nico Gonzalez is also a contender to earn a recall in the middle of the pitch.

Guardiola has admitted that he could make some changes to his lineup, and they may come in the final third, with Savinho, Omar Marmoush and Phil Foden all pushing to start in an attack. While in-form Rayan Cherki may retain his starting spot, Antoine Semenyo and Jeremy Doku could be replaced out wide.

Erling Haaland scored his 35th goal of the season in all competitions in midweek, and having also netted 12 goals in as many FA Cup appearances for Man City, the prolific Norwegian is expected to lead the line on Saturday – Haaland has never scored across 14 games in semi-finals or finals for the Citizens, though, since joining the club in 2022.

As for Southampton, midfielder Flynn Downes has been handed a three-match ban for violent conduct following an incident in the Championship win at Swansea last weekend, while left-back Ryan Manning is also suspended for the semi-final.

Mads Roerslev (Achilles) and Alex McCarthy (wrist) both remain sidelined, while captain Jack Stephens has emerged as a doubt after pulling out of the starting lineup before the midweek draw with Bristol City with a calf problem sustained in the warm-up.

Eckert may recall Welington to start as a left wing-back in the absence of Manning, while either Caspar Jander or Cam Bragg could start alongside Charles in centre-midfield, allowing Finn Azaz - 10 goals and seven assists in 39 Championship appearances this season - to operate in an advanced central position.

Ross Stewart will hope to be the man selected to start up front ahead of Cyle Larin and Cameron Archer. Stewart has scored three goals in his last five FA Cup appearances, including the opener against Arsenal in the previous round, while he also found the net on his last Wembley outing as a Sunderland player in May 2022.

Manchester City possible starting lineup:

Trafford; Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, Ait-Nouri; Bernardo, O'Reilly; Savinho, Cherki, Marmoush; Haaland

Southampton possible starting lineup:

Peretz; Stephens, Harwood-Bellis, Wood; Bree, Jander, Charles, Welington; Azaz, Scienza; Stewart

We say: Manchester City 2-0 Southampton

Man City will be regarded as firm favourites to overcome second-tier opposition, but Southampton should not be taken lightly given their exceptional run of form and impressive wins over two Premier League teams to reach the semi-finals.

We cannot envisage a spirited Saints side marching on into the final, though, as the strength, quality and relentless nature of Guardiola’s team should ultimately find a way to wear down the Championship outfit.

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