Manchester City pull off comeback win against Southampton to reach FA Cup final

What a barnstorming finish to this FA Cup semi-final that featured three goals in eight minutes and ended with Nico González as the hero who swept Manchester City to a historic fourth consecutive final.

The Spaniard’s winner came in the 87th-minute. Bernardo Silva, only just introduced by Pep Guardiola, tapped to Jérémy Doku, who fed González. From outside Southampton’s area, to the left, the midfielder let go a rising shot that smacked the net and left Tonda Eckert’s team heartbroken, after taking the lead only moments before.

This was when, on 79 minutes, Finn Azaz appeared to seize a moment of classic Cup glory. The No 10 received the ball to his left foot before, 25 yards out, swivelling, and curling a peach, with his right, that flew beyond the flailing James Trafford to beat City’s goalkeeper high and to his left.

Yet as Eckert’s side hit ecstasy and their fans sang, “when the Saints go marching in”, City do what City do. Doku, also on as replacement, danced from the left to a central zone and hit an equaliser that beat Daniel Peretz, Southampton’s goalkeeper, to his left due to a James Bree deflection.

Cue delirium, now, in the sky blue zone though Kuryu Matsuki nearly grabbed an instantaneous Saints’ second when moving upfield, Trafford tipping the effort over.

The Championship team, unbeaten in 20 before this afternoon, also rallied via two corners but a Doku break then created an opening for Savinho, whose attempt was cleared off the line.

Finn Azaz gives Southampton the lead from long range. Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images/Reuters

In seven minutes of added time both teams might have scored again as the chaotic close to the tie continued. Yet when Craig Pawson blew for time it was City who were rapturous, and those in the yellow of the club’s famous Cup win of 50 years ago bereft.

Guardiola hugged Eckert and offered a word to the 33-year-old former Barnsley assistant manager but, truly, what could he say to comfort a man six months into a first head coach role who came so close to piloting the south coast club to a famous victory.

The evidence of how near Saints came to knocking out the Premier League leaders is found in City ending the game within Erling Haaland, Nico O’Reilly, Doku, and Silva all on the pitch as all began on the bench.