- Man City face Southampton on Saturday
- City are chasing a fourth straight FA Cup final appearance
- Both sides are in excellent form
Manchester City take on Southampton on Saturday at Wembley Stadium in the FA Cup semi-finals, with both sides in a rich vein of form.
With anticipation building ahead of this weekend’s massive FA Cup fixture, Pep Guardiola’s side are preparing to face Tonda Eckert’s Championship promotion chasers Southampton.
Unsurprisingly, City are the overwhelming favourites against their second-tier opponents, but the Saints – who knocked out Arsenal in the previous round – are not to be undestimated.
Ahead of the action, we’ve taken a look at both sides’ recent form, as well as their head-to-head record against each other.
Man City’s five most recent matches
Burnley 0-1 Man City (April 22)
Erling Haaland’s fifth-minute finish was enough to claim victory at Turf Moor and send City to the top of the Premier League, relegating Burnley in the process. The scoreline did not reflect the dominance shown by the Carabao Cup winners, who controlled proceedings throughout.
Manchester City 2-1 Arsenal (April 19)
Last weekend’s win against Arsenal turned the title race on its head and put Pep Guardiola’s side in a commanding position as we enter the final weeks. Goals from Rayan Cherki and Haaland either side of Kai Havertz’s equaliser earned City three vital points and closed the gap to their rivals.
Chelsea 0-3 Man City (April 12)
A fantastic away win helped pile the pressure on Arsenal, with Nico O’Reilly, Marc Guehi and Cherki all scoring in a dominant display at Stamford Bridge. The win moved City to within six points of Arsenal ahead of their meeting at the Etihad.
Man City 4-0 Liverpool (April 4)
The Sky Blues were in ruthless form as Haaland’s hat-trick and Antoine Semenyo’s chipped finish saw Guardiola’s side emphatically beat Arne Slot’s Reds and set up this weekend’s FA Cup semi against the Saints.
Arsenal 0-2 Man City (March 22)
O’Reilly was at his brilliant best as his brace helped secure the Carabao Cup for City. The second of his two headers, scored just four minutes apart, won the club’s Goal of the Month award for March.
City’s recent record: W-W-W-W-W
Southampton’s past five results
Southampton 2-2 Bristol City (April 21)
After their incredible recent run, this one felt like a game too far for the Saints. A leggy performance saw them fall behind twice before Ross Stewart’s late equaliser earned them a point and kept their 20-game unbeaten run going.
Swansea City 1-2 Southampton (April 18)
Eckert’s side left it very late to beat Swansea City and keep their charge towards the automatic promotion places on track. Cameron Archer’s 90th-minute strike snatched a hard-fought victory against the Swans.
Southampton 3-0 Blackburn Rovers (April 14)
A dominant performance against Championship strugglers Blackburn. Cyle Larin and Ryan Manning scored before the break, before Archer added a third in the closing stages to put the result beyond any doubt.
Southampton 2-1 Derby County (April 11)
Having fallen behind through Carlton Morris’ opener for the Rams, Leo Scienza and former Man City defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis were on hand as Saints completed an impressive comeback victory against Derby.
Wrexham 1-5 Southampton (April 7)
One of their most impressive performances of the season. Southampton demolished fellow promotion hopefuls Wrexham at the Racecourse Ground. Goals came from Larin, Stewart, Kuryu Matsuki, Flynn Downes and Finn Azaz as the Saints totally dominated their hosts.
Southampton’s recent record: W-W-W-W-D
Man City should be wary of Southampton threat
On paper, this one should be a comfortable victory for Man City. They have lost just once in their last 10 meeting with the Saints, winning six.
However, Southampton’s incredible recent form should give Guardiola pause for thought. Eckert’s side are unbeaten in 20, having won eight in a row in all competitions prior to Tuesday’s draw with Bristol, beating Premier League opponents Fulham and Arsenal along the way.
City will be aware of the threat Southampton pose, and will be keen to avoid an embarrassing upset. They will need to remain clinical and professional, but their quality and squad depth should be enough to see them through, even with a host of expected changes to the team.
