GONZALEZ STUNNER SENDS MAN CITY INTO FA CUP FINAL AFTER LATE COMEBACK
Read Time:1 Minute, 24 Second
By Aishat Momoh. O.
Manchester City booked their place in the FA Cup final after a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over Southampton on Saturday, with Nico González scoring a late winner.
The Championship side looked set for a famous upset when Finn Azaz fired them ahead in the 79th minute with a superb strike, putting Southampton on course for their first FA Cup final appearance since 2003.
However, Pep Guardiola’s side responded swiftly. Jérémy Doku equalised with a deflected effort before González sealed the victory with a powerful long-range strike three minutes from time.
The win keeps City on track for a potential domestic treble and makes them the first club to reach four consecutive FA Cup finals.
Despite a heavily rotated starting lineup by Pep Guardiola, City improved significantly in the second half after introducing key players, including Erling Haaland and Savinho.
Southampton had earlier seen a goal ruled out for offside, while City struggled to create clear chances in the first half. Omar Marmoush missed a key opportunity before being substituted.
The Saints’ opener came after Kuryu Matsuki set up Azaz, who turned brilliantly before unleashing an unstoppable shot into the top corner.
But their resistance crumbled late on as City’s pressure paid off. Doku’s equaliser took a deflection off James Bree, wrong-footing goalkeeper Daniel Peretz, before González’s thunderous strike completed the turnaround.
City nearly added a third in stoppage time, but Matsuki made a last-ditch clearance after Peretz had gone forward in search of an equaliser.
The defeat ends Southampton’s 20-game unbeaten run, though their impressive campaign keeps them firmly in contention for a return to the Premier League.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0