Manchester City’s pursuit of a record eighth consecutive FA Cup semi-final appearance has led them to Wembley, where they will face a Southampton side that has defied expectations throughout their Championship campaign. The tie represents a clash between a Premier League title contender and a second-tier club that has been among the most consistent teams in English football this season.
City arrive in strong form, having strung together five consecutive victories across all competitions. Their FA Cup run this season has been commanding — defeating Exeter City 10-1, Salford City 2-0 and Newcastle United 3-1 before a 4-0 home win over Liverpool in the quarter-finals earlier this month. A 1-0 league victory over Burnley on Wednesday, despite 28 shots yielding only one goal, extended their winning run and moved them to the top of the Premier League table. Under Guardiola, City have now won six top-flight titles in nine seasons and are pushing for a seventh.
Southampton’s route to the last four has been equally notable. The Saints eliminated Arsenal with a 2-1 home win earlier this month, with former Manchester City academy graduate Shea Charles scoring the decisive goal in the 85th minute. That result came during what was an eight-game winning streak — a run finally halted on Tuesday when Roy Hodgson’s Bristol City held them to a 2-2 draw. Southampton remain unbeaten across 20 matches in all competitions (W16 D4), with two or more goals scored in 13 of those games. They currently sit fourth in the Championship, within reach of the automatic promotion places — a significant turnaround from their position of 20th when manager Eckert took charge.
Historically, this fixture has favoured City. In four previous FA Cup meetings, Manchester City have won three — 5-0 in 1909-10, 3-1 in 2006-07 and 4-1 in 2021-22 — with their only defeat coming in the third round in 1959-60, a 5-1 loss. Across all competitions, Southampton have won just two of their last 18 encounters against City, drawing three and losing 13. The sides met most recently in a goalless Premier League draw in May 2025.
For Southampton, the Wembley stage carries additional weight. The club has not appeared in an FA Cup final since 2003 and has been knocked out at the semi-final stage in nine of their 13 attempts. Of the nine sides that have eliminated them at that stage, eight went on to win the trophy — the only exception being Arsenal in 1926-27.
On the team news front, City could be without Ballon d’Or-winning midfielder Rodri, who sustained an injury during last week’s win over Arsenal. Guardiola has indicated cautious optimism over his availability. Ruben Dias is also working his way back from an ankle injury and may push for involvement, while Josko Gvardiol is also listed among the injury concerns.
Southampton will be without Flynn Downes, who is suspended following a red card for violent conduct against Swansea at the weekend. Ryan Manning is also serving a suspension. Captain Jack Stephens is considered a doubt after he was left out of the squad for the midweek draw with Bristol City.
Possible starting lineups:
Manchester City: Trafford; Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, Ait-Nouri; Bernardo, O’Reilly; Savinho, Cherki, Marmoush; Haaland
Southampton: Peretz; Bree, Harwood-Bellis, Wood, Manning; Downes, Charles; Fellows, Azaz, Scienza; Stewart
Should City progress, they will become the first team in FA Cup history to reach four consecutive finals. However, their recent final record warrants note — they were beaten by Crystal Palace last season and by Manchester United the season before, meaning the competition has consistently produced a late obstacle for Guardiola’s side. Southampton, given their form and Championship pedigree this season, are unlikely to be passive opponents, but the quality differential between the two squads remains considerable.
