Manchester City will attempt to reach a record fourth successive FA Cup final when they face Championship high-flyers Southampton at Wembley Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Citizens are chasing an unprecedented domestic treble, while the Saints are aiming to become the first second-tier side to reach the final since Cardiff City in 2007-08.
Manchester City vs Southampton – Match Preview and Team News
For the first time since August, Manchester City find themselves perched atop the Premier League table, but Pep Guardiola will know that silverware on multiple fronts remains the ultimate goal this season.
After their Champions League exit at the hands of Real Madrid, City have refocused their energies domestically with impressive results. The EFL Cup is already in the trophy cabinet after their March triumph, and they arrive at Wembley having won five consecutive matches across all competitions.
Most recently, City edged past Burnley 1-0 at Turf Moor on Wednesday, though Guardiola will have been frustrated by his side’s wastefulness in front of goal. Despite 28 shots, they managed just a single strike, missing the opportunity to build a crucial goal-difference cushion over title rivals Arsenal.
Nevertheless, the Citizens have put themselves in pole position for a seventh top-flight crown in 10 years under the Catalan coach, and Saturday’s semifinal offers another step towards an unprecedented domestic treble.
City’s FA Cup journey has been characteristically dominant. After thrashing Exeter City 10-1, they dispatched Salford City (2-0) and Newcastle United (3-1) before producing a statement 4-0 home victory over Liverpool in the quarter-finals. Erling Haaland’s hat-trick in that Anfield triumph took his FA Cup tally for City to 12 goals in 12 appearances – remarkably, 11 of those have come as part of trebles.
Guardiola’s men are now gearing up for a record eighth consecutive FA Cup semifinal and will attempt to become the first team in the competition’s 154-year history to reach four finals in a row. They have won each of their last three semifinal ties, though subsequent final defeats to Manchester United (2023-24) and Crystal Palace (2024-25) have denied them the trophy in recent seasons.
The statistics underscore City’s FA Cup dominance in recent years. Since 2016-17, no team has won more matches (44), scored more goals (157), or kept more clean sheets (28) in the competition. Against lower-league opposition, their record is even more formidable – 21 consecutive FA Cup victories, scoring 84 goals while conceding just 11.
However, Saturday’s opponents will take some comfort from City’s Wembley struggles. Six of their seven FA Cup defeats under Guardiola have come at the national stadium, with only the infamous 2018 loss to Wigan at the DW Stadium occurring elsewhere.
Southampton’s Remarkable Run
Fifty years on from winning the FA Cup as a Second Division team – beating Manchester United 1-0 in the 1976 final thanks to Bobby Stokes’ memorable strike – Southampton return to Wembley aiming to topple another Manchester powerhouse and create more cup folklore.
The Saints have reached the semifinals after winning each of the previous four rounds by a single-goal margin. Victories over Doncaster Rovers (3-2), Leicester City (2-1 AET), and Fulham (1-0) set the stage for their most impressive result – a stunning 2-1 home triumph over Premier League leaders Arsenal in the quarter-finals.
That victory showcased Southampton’s credentials as genuine giant-killers. Former Manchester City academy player Shea Charles struck an 85th-minute winner to send St Mary’s into raptures and book their place at Wembley.
Under head coach Tonda Eckert, Southampton have been transformed. When the German took charge, the Saints were languishing in 20th place in the Championship. Now they sit fourth in the table, within touching distance of automatic promotion, having assembled an exceptional 20-game unbeaten run across all competitions (W16 D4).
Their eight-game winning streak was brought to an end on Tuesday, though, as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Roy Hodgson’s Bristol City at St Mary’s. Nevertheless, Southampton have scored two or more goals in 13 matches during their unbeaten sequence and have extended their Championship undefeated streak to 17 games.
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 carry unwanted semifinal history – having been knocked out in nine of their 13 last-four appearances. Interestingly, eight of the nine sides to eliminate the Saints at this stage went on to lift the trophy, with only Arsenal in 1926-27 failing to capitalise.
Success at Wembley has been hard to come by for Southampton in general. They have lost eight of their 11 matches at the national stadium (W3), including their last two FA Cup semifinals – against Chelsea in 2017-18 and Leicester City in 2020-21. However, their most recent visit resulted in glory, the 2024 Championship play-off final triumph over Leeds United.
Southampton have also struggled against Saturday’s opponents in recent years, losing 13 of their last 18 meetings with City across all competitions (W2 D3). Their most recent encounter was a goalless draw in the Premier League in May 2025, suggesting the Saints can at least frustrate Guardiola’s side on their day.
Team News
Manchester City
Guardiola faces difficult selection decisions after a taxing schedule. The City boss spoke candidly about “doubts” and squad fatigue following the physically demanding victory over Arsenal, though his side managed to grind out a crucial win at Burnley on Wednesday.
Midfielder Rodri remains City’s primary injury concern and is highly unlikely to be risked for this fixture, particularly with a tricky Premier League trip to Everton on the horizon. The Spaniard’s absence could open opportunities for the likes of Mateo Kovacic, who has recovered from his ankle injury, or Nico Gonzalez and Tijjani Reijnders.
Defenders Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol are also sidelined and will not be ready for Saturday’s clash. This should see Abdukodir Khusanov and Marc Guehi continue their solid partnership in central defence, though John Stones and Nathan Ake remain options if Guardiola opts for experience.
Cup goalkeeper James Trafford is expected to replace Gianluigi Donnarumma between the posts, while rotation is anticipated across the pitch. Rayan Ait-Nouri could start at left-back, allowing Nico O’Reilly a deserved rest after his recent exertions.
In attack, Phil Foden will be hoping for a rare start ahead of the in-form trio of Rayan Cherki, Jeremy Doku, and Antoine Semenyo. Erling Haaland could be rested, with Omar Marmoush given the opportunity to lead the line, particularly given Haaland’s curious record of never scoring or assisting in 14 previous semi-final and final appearances for City.
Doubts: Rodri (ankle)
Injured: Dias (muscle), Gvardiol (hamstring)
Southampton
Tonda Eckert faces his own selection headaches, with suspensions and injuries forcing changes to his side.
Captain Jack Stephens requires assessment after pulling out of Tuesday’s starting lineup moments before kick-off against Bristol City. Eckert revealed: “We need to assess him over the next few days, he also felt a little something before the Swansea game but he was fine to give us some minutes towards the end so we just need to see where he’s at.”
The suspended duo of Flynn Downes and Ryan Manning represent significant losses. Both have been instrumental during Southampton’s 20-game unbeaten run, and Eckert will need tactical solutions to compensate for their absence.
“I think that we’ve shown in many parts of the season that we’re able to find ways to play football games without key players,” Eckert explained. “It might change the approach a little bit on how we go about the games we have coming up now, but we’ve had this over different spells with important players missing. We just need to make sure we adapt in some moments, maybe in the way we press or the way we build, but I’m sure we’ll find a way. I’m sure we’ll have a solution on Saturday.”
Goalkeeper Alex McCarthy (wrist) and Mads Roerslev (knee) are also unavailable.
Suspended: Downes (midfield), Manning (defence)
Injured: McCarthy (wrist), Roerslev (knee)
Doubtful: Stephens (fitness assessment)
Predicted Lineups
Manchester City: Trafford; Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, Ait-Nouri; Reijnders, Gonzalez, Silva; Cherki, Haaland, Semenyo
Southampton: Peretz; Stephens, Harwood-Bellis, Wood; Bree, Jander, Charles, Welington; Azaz, Scienza; Stewart
Head-to-Head Record
Manchester City and Southampton have met four times previously in the FA Cup. City won 5-0 in 1909-10, 3-1 in 2006-07, and 4-1 in 2021-22, but Southampton claimed a famous 5-1 third-round victory in 1959-60.
In all competitions, Southampton have lost 13 of their last 18 matches against City (W2 D3), though their most recent meeting was a creditable 0-0 Premier League draw in May 2025.
Prediction
Manchester City are overwhelming favourites according to the Opta supercomputer, which gives them a 75.2% chance of winning inside 90 minutes across 10,000 pre-match simulations.
However, Southampton have defied the odds throughout this cup run, most notably against Arsenal, and possess the defensive organisation and counter-attacking threat to cause problems. With key players suspended, though, and facing a City side with superior quality throughout their squad, the task may prove too great.
Guardiola will be desperate to avoid another Wembley disappointment and should have enough firepower, even with rotation, to navigate past Championship opposition. Expect City to control possession and create numerous chances, with their clinical finishing proving the difference.
We say: Manchester City 2-1 Southampton
While Southampton’s remarkable unbeaten run and giant-killing pedigree make them dangerous opponents, Manchester City’s quality and depth should ultimately prevail. The Saints will make it competitive and may even score against a rotated City defence, but Guardiola’s side have too much class across the pitch and will edge a tighter-than-expected contest to reach a historic fourth consecutive FA Cup final.
- Kick-off: Saturday, 3:00 PM BST
- Venue: Wembley Stadium, London
- Referee: Craig Pawson
- VAR: Tony Harrington
- How to watch: BBC One, TNT Sports 1, Prime Video UK, BBC iPlayer, Now TV, HBO Max
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