City make eight changes for FA Cup semi-final as Stones skippers

The Blues are looking to reach a fourth successive FA Cup final - which would be a record!

The winner of tonight’s encounter will face either Chelsea or Leeds, who play tomorrow, in the showpiece next month.

CITY XI: Trafford, Nunes, Stones (C), Ake, Ait-Nouri, Nico, Kovacic, Reijnders, Cherki, Foden, Marmoush

Subs: Donnarumma, Haaland, Doku, Guéhi, Silva, Savio, O’Reilly, Khusanov, Lewis

TACTICS

James Trafford is between the sticks and protected by a back four of Matheus Nunes, John Stones, Nathan Ake and Rayan Ait-Nouri.

Nico will take on the anchoring role in the absence of the injured Rodri and supported in the central ground by Mateo Kovacic and Tijjani Reijnders.

Rayan Cherki and Phil Foden will interchange in the spaces behind talisman Omar Marmoush.

PEP’S WEMBLEY WAY

Pep Guardiola returns to a familiar venue this evening hoping to progress to a second cup final this season and in the process break even more records.

Tonight’s clash represents Guardiola’s eighth consecutive FA Cup semi-final with City - a run stretching back to 2018/19 – and a record in the competition!

Guardiola has led City to victory in the last three to reach the final – beating Sheffield United, Chelsea and Nottingham Forest en route.

No side has ever reached the FA Cup final four seasons in a row as we look to see off Southampton this time around and do just that.

This evening’s game also represents Guardiola’s 23rd appearance at Wembley with City – another record eclipsing former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp by 17 matches!

If all that’s impressive, since Guardiola took over, City have also won the most matches (44), scored the most goals (157) and kept the most clean sheets (28) of any side in the FA Cup.

Here’s to increasing those stats this evening, please, and booking a place in another Wembley showpiece.

MATCH STATS

-City have faced Southampton in four previous FA Cup ties, winning 5-0 in 1909/10, 3-1 in 2006/07 and 4-1 in 2021/22. We lost 5-1 in the other in the third round in 1959/60

-Southampton have lost 13 of their last 18 matches against City in all competitions (W2 D3). Their most recent meeting was a goalless draw in May 2025 in the Premier League.

-Southampton are looking to become the first non-Premier League side to reach the FA Cup final since Cardiff City in 2007/08, who beat fellow Championship side Barnsley in the semi-final. On the last 15 occasions a top-flight team has faced a side from outside the top-flight in the semi-final, the top-flight team has qualified; Sunderland against Norwich in 1991/92 were the last to progress.

-City have won our last 21 FA Cup matches against sides from outside the Premier League, scoring 84 goals and only conceding 11. It is the outright longest winning run ever in FA Cup history by top-flight sides against lower league teams.

-Southampton have reached four FA Cup finals (1900, 1902, 1976, 2003) but have been knocked out in nine of their 13 FA Cup semi-finals, most recently losing to Leicester in 2020/21. Eight of the nine teams to knock the Saints out at that stage then went on to lift the trophy, the exception being Arsenal in 1926/27.

-Erling Haaland has scored 12 goals in 12 FA Cup appearances for City, with 11 of those 12 goals coming as part of hat-tricks (3 vs Burnley in 2023, 5 vs Luton in 2024, 3 vs Liverpool in 2026). However, Haaland has never scored or assisted in a semi-final or final for City – he’s played 14 games, 1,140 minutes, had 25 shots and 62 touches in the opposition box.

-Southampton’s Ross Stewart has scored three goals in five FA Cup appearances (1 in 2 for Sunderland, 2 in 3 for the Saints), scoring those from just four shots on target. He also scored on his last Wembley appearance back in May 2022, for Sunderland in their victorious League One play-off final against Wycombe.