Pep Guardiola offers honest thoughts as Southampton push Manchester City all the way | OneFootball

Southampton were within sight of a first FA Cup final since 1976 before Manchester City rallied at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final. According to Sainstmarching.com, Pep Guardiola later praised their effort.

Finn Azaz smashed past James Trafford with 11 minutes of normal time remaining to put Saints ahead, prompting dreams for their supporters. City then hit back swiftly through Jeremy Doku and Nico Gonzalez to book a return to Wembley for the final.

Head coach Tonda Eckert hailed an excellent performance, saying his side had to suffer at times against such opponents and defended deep when required. He felt Southampton did this brilliantly in long spells and left everything on the pitch.

Guardiola acknowledged Southampton’s 20-game unbeaten run and said he never expected an easy afternoon. He noted they crossed halfway only once after the break and scored with a stunning strike, calling football unpredictable and crediting their defending and overall play.

Eckert wants to move on quickly from the late blow, with promotion still the target. He praised the travelling support and said the same energy will be needed for the run-in, with a play-off final hopefully on the agenda to banish some of the Wembley heartbreak.

Source: Sainstmarching.com