Manchester City vs Southampton (FA Cup Semi-Final): Match Preview, Team News, Head to Head, How to Watch | OneFootball

Manchester City and Southampton are set to make the trip to Wembley Stadium on Saturday evening for their latest semi-final clash in the FA Cup.

Pep Guardiola’s side have recently claimed top spot in the Premier League with a 1-0 victory against Burnley, as Erling Haaland’s winning goal in just the 5th minute on April 22 at Turf Moor was enough to claim a crucial three points.

Manchester City now have 70 points from 33 matches with a goal difference of +37, all the same as second-place Arsenal. However, a superior tally of 66 goals scored in the league separates themselves from the Gunners, who have 63 goals so far this season.

If both clubs finish level on points, goal difference, and goals scored, Manchester City will win the league as things stand, as they have earned more points across the two head-to-head matches with Arsenal this campaign.

With the Carabao Cup already in the bag and an intense league Premier League title race afoot, Manchester City will be looking to advance to the FA Cup final for a fourth consecutive season in order to claim the domestic treble.

With their last 2-2 draw against Bristol City in the Championship, Southampton are strong contenders for a possible promotion to the Premier League next season, ranking fourth in the league table among the play-off spots with 76 points in 44 games.

The Saints are currently on a 20-game unbeaten streak, and after advancing to the upcoming semi-final tie after defeating Arsenal 2-1 in the quarter-final, they will be hoping to lift their second FA Cup in the club’s history.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of this crucial FA Cup semi-final tie!

Match Details

Manchester City will face Southampton in the FA Cup semi-finals on Saturday 25th April at 5:15pm (BST) at Wembley Stadium.

Match Officials

The Football Association have confirmed Craig Pawson will be the match referee for Manchester City against Southampton in the FA Cup Semi-Final.

Check out the full team of referees for the match here!

Team News

Manchester City will be missing Ruben Dias in action due to a thigh injury, while Josko Gvardiol is also expected to be ruled out as he recovers from a leg bone fracture sustained in January.

After suffering a calf injury in the latest win against Arsenal, Rodri missed the league game against Burnley and remains in doubt for the FA Cup semi-final tie.

As for Southampton, midfielder Flynn Downes will miss the match after being charged with violent conduct in their 2-1 win against Swansea last weekend and has received a three-match ban.

The Saints will also be without Ryan Manning, who is also serving a suspension. Southampton captain Jack Stephens remains in doubt after pulling out of the squad prior to the clash against Bristol City on Tuesday.

Press Conference Quotes

Pep Guardiola is due to speak to the media on Friday 24 April at 12:30 (UK).

Refresh for updates.

Head-to-Head

The last meeting between the two sides ended in a goalless draw in the 36th match of the 2024/25 Premier League season in May last year at St Mary’s Stadium.

Earlier in the previous campaign, Manchester City bagged a 1-0 win against Southampton, with Haaland finding the back of the net in just five minutes into the league match in October 2024, at the Etihad Stadium.

Manchester City last encountered the Saints in the FA Cup in the quarter-finals of the 2021/22 season, which ended in a 4-1 victory for Guardiola’s side.

Raheem Sterling opened the scoring for City in the 12th minute, followed by goals from Kevin De Bruyne (penalty), Phil Foden, and Riyad Mahrez in the second half, while Southampton’s sole goal came from an own goal netted by Aymeric Laporte.

Overall, Manchester City and Southampton have faced each other in 89 matches across competitions, with the former winning 35 games while the Saints secured 30 victories.

Statistics

With this upcoming match, Manchester City have reached their eighth consecutive FA Cup semi-final since 2018/19, winning their last three to reach the final. No club has ever made it to the competition’s final four seasons in a row.

Southampton, meanwhile, will be aiming to become the first non-Premier League side to reach the FA Cup Final since Cardiff City in 2007-08. In the last 15 matches where a top-flight team has faced a club outside the top tier in the semi-final, the higher-ranked side has advanced.

City have won their last 21 FA Cup matches against non-Premier League clubs, netting 84 goals and conceding eleven, which makes the longest winning streak ever in FA Cup history by top-flight sides against lower league teams.

The Saints 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.

Since the 2016-17 season in the knockout competition, Manchester City have won the most matches (44), scored the most goals (157), and maintained the most clean sheets (28) of any side.

Southampton have been defeated in eight out of their eleven matches at Wembley Stadium, including both of their FA Cup semi-finals in 2017/18 against Chelsea and 2020/21 against Leicester City.

Haaland has scored 12 goals in 12 FA Cup appearances for Manchester City, with eleven of those goals being a part of hat-tricks, but he has not yet registered a goal or assist in a single semi-final or final in any competition for the English club.

Southampton forward Ross Stewart has netted three goals in five FA Cup appearances and also scored on his last Wembley appearance back in May 2022 during his stint at Sunderland in their League One play-off final against Wycombe.

How to Watch

Viewers in the United Kingdom will be able to watch via TNT Sports 1 and BBC One.

The match will be shown live in the United States via ESPN and fuboTV.

A full list of global TV listings can be found here!

City Xtra will have full live coverage available on X, Facebook and Instagram throughout the matchday, with content also on cityxtra.co.uk!