SportsSpotlight Stories

Man City vs. Southampton score, stats, talking points, highlights as Nico stunner gives Guardiola semifinal turnaround

April 25, 2026
0
Nico Gonzalez

Man City vs. Southampton score, stats, talking points, highlights as Nico stunner gives Guardiola semifinal turnaround originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

JUMP TO:

Manchester City came through a late scare to beat Southampton 2-1 and book their place in a fourth consecutive FA Cup final.

City are the first club to achieve such a feat, even though they have lost the previous two to Manchester United and Crystal Palace.

Pep Guardiola’s hopes of getting a crack at a third FA Cup success and his club’s seventh were hanging by a thread with 11 minutes remaining when Southampton, having been pegged back for most of the second half, hit the front through a sumptuous strike from Finn Azaz.

The Carabao Cup winners showed the mentality of champions in that adversity, however. They also enjoyed a stroke of fortune when a speculative strike from substitute Jeremy Doku deflected into the corner.

There was nothing fortunate about the winning goal, though, which came from an unlikely source. As Southampton’s defence dropped deep, City’s holding midfielder Nico Gonzalez took aim and unleashed a brutal strike into the top left corner from almost 30 yards.

Guardiola’s men will face either Chelsea or Leeds United in the final. Southampton’s attentions now turn to the business of getting back to the Premier League as the Championship promotion race reaches its climax. having lost for the first time in 21 matches across all competitions.

MORE:Marc Guehi: If you think title race is easy for Man City, you don’t know football

Man City vs. Southampton live score

Location: Wembley Stadium (London, UK)
Referee: Craig Pawson

Starting lineups:

Man City (4-2-2-2, right to left): Trafford — Nunes, Stones, Ake, Ait-Nouri— Kovacic, Nico — Cherki, Reijnders — Foden, Marmoush

Southampton (4-2-3-1, right to left): Peretz — Bree, Harwood-Bellis, Wood, Welington— Bragg, Jander — Fellows, Azaz, Scienza — Stewart

MORE:An up-to-date list of the La Liga top goal scorers for the 2025/26 season

Man City vs. Southampton key moments

90+1 mins: A chaotic start to stoppage time as Peretz is beaten to the ball on halfway by Doku after City clear a corner. He looks for Haaland, who looks for Savinho. Why on earth won’t anyone shoot? Savinho does and his attempt is blocked on the line.

Available in the UK

87 mins: OOOOOHHHHHHH, WHAT A GOAL FROM NICO GONZALEZ!!!!!

Heartbreak for Southampton as City turn it around. Saints defend their box well, the ball is worked back to Nico, who smashes into the top corner from the best part of 30 yards. Not a lot you can do about that.

Available in the US

Available in the UK

82 mins: Instant response for City as Jeremy Doku equalises!

Available in the UK

The Belgium winger was speaking this week about how he needs to score more goals, and boy did his side need one there. Doku cuts inside, his right footed shot takes a deflection and scoots beyond Peretz.

79 mins: GOOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLL!!!!!! Ohhhhh what a goal by Finn Azaz!!!!

Southampton enjoy a rare excursion into the City half. They work the ball to Azaz on the edge of the penalty area from the left. He curls a majestic shot into the far corner beyond Trafford. Saints are 11 minutes from the FA Cup final.

Available in the US

Available in the UK

71 mins: How on earth haven’t City scored there? Charles coughs up possession, Guardiola’s side stream forward. Nico has a strike saved by Peretz, Cherki’s follow-up is blocked and then Reijnders fires wide. Southampton hanging on, with Erling Haaland now into the action.

65 mins: Peretz plunges to his right to deny City substitute Savinho. Southampton then nearly get away on the break but Larin overhits the pass and Trafford is alert to the danger.

63 mins: Cherki with a lovely little change of pace to scamper towards the byline. Marmoush flings himself at the cross but can’t make contact.

60 mins: Lovely interplay from Cherki and Ait-Nouri. The latter cuts back to Marmoush but the Egypt forward is leaning back and skies his shot.

53 mins: Cherki becomes the latest City player to flash a ball across the face of goal. It’s a good spell of pressure but hasn’t come to anything yet. Erling Haaland probably looking on ruefully from the bench.

46 mins:Sloppy stuff from City at the start of the second half. Fellows gets in, but Ake is back with a recovery challenge and Trafford can mop up.

Halftime 

Still goalless here and a much-changed Manchester City have, perhaps understandably, struggled for rhythm. Southampton made six changes themselves, in all fairness, and have acquitted themselves very well.

20 mins: Mateo Kovacic, making his first start of the season following a couple of operations, goes on a jinking run and drives across goal from a narrow angle.

12 mins: Southampton have the ball in the net and the fans at the other end of the stadium are going spare. But Scienza was offside before he slotted past Trafford.

Man City vs. Southampton upcoming schedules

Man City upcoming fixtures

Date Competition Match Location
Mon, May 4 Premier League Everton vs. Man City Hill Dickinson Stadium (Liverpool, UK)
Sat, May 9 Premier League Man City vs. Brentford Etihad Stadium (Manchester, UK)
Sun, May 17 Premier League Bournemouth vs. Man City Vitality Stadium (Bournemouth, UK)

Southampton upcoming fixtures

Date Competition Match Location
Tue, Apr 28 Championship Southampton vs. Ipswich St Mary’s (Southampton, UK)
Sat, May 2 Championship Preston vs. Southampton Deepdale (Preston, UK)
Technology

Recent Posts

editors picks

Top Reviews

X-twitter

© 2024 United Cultures.