Report: Late City revival ends brave Saints' cup dream

Saints gave as good as they got in an impressive first-half showing, with Leo Scienza’s 12th-minute goal denied by a tight offside call.

With City piling on the pressure after the interval, it was Saints who opened the scoring in stunning fashion when Finn Azaz curled a sumptuous curling shot into the top corner to send a sea of yellow-shirted Saints fans into raptures with just 11 minutes to go.

But the lead would prove to be short-lived, as Jérémy Doku’s cruelly-deflected shot bobbled into the bottom corner three minutes later, before Nico González’s spectacular strike from distance completed the comeback three minutes from the end of normal time.

Tonda Eckert made six changes from the midweek draw with Bristol City, a result that leaves the play-offs as Saints’ most likely route to promotion back to the Premier League.

But this was all about Wembley part one, and continuing the club’s pursuit of a second FA Cup triumph 50 years on from Saints’ finest hour.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis captained the side against his former team in the absence of Jack Stephens, still sidelined by the injury that forced him out of the warm-up ahead of kick-off against the Robins.

Welington, Cameron Bragg, Caspar Jander, Tom Fellows, Leo Scienza and Ross Stewart were all recalled, with Ryan Manning and Flynn Downes suspended, while Shea Charles, Kuryu Matsuki, Cameron Archer and Cyle Larin were named among the substitutes.

Daniel Peretz brilliantly keeps out Tijani Reijnders early on, but the Dutchman was offside

Pep Guardiola’s title-chasing City were playing in a record eighth consecutive FA Cup semi-final and on a mission to reach a record fourth final in a row as they set their sights on a domestic treble, and their decorated manager made eight changes to his last team selection, including 35-goal top scorer Erling Haaland, who was on the bench.

But there was no rustiness on show in the way the odds-on favourites flew out of the traps. Omar Marmoush escaped in behind the Saints backline inside four minutes, cutting the ball back for Tijani Reijnders to rattle the post, only for Marmoush to be retrospectively flagged offside in any case. Replays subsequently revealed a stunning fingertip save from Daniel Peretz to keep the Dutchman at bay.

These delayed offsides, though necessary with VAR in play, would become a frustrating feature of the opening exchanges.

Nathan Wood’s last-ditch tackle to halt Marmoush was also made academic by a late flag, before the 36,000 Saints fans were sent into delirium by Scienza, only for another retrospective offside to cut those celebrations short.

After Saints targeted Stewart from a long ball forward, Azaz picked up the second ball and slipped it through for Scienza in the inside-left channel, who raced into the box and coolly slotted into the far corner.

Whilst the goal ultimately proved in vain, it did give Saints a spring in their step. The Championship side were not overawed and enjoyed sustained spells of possession, while errant City passes were met with loud cheers of approval from the sea of yellow behind Peretz’s goal, as the Saints fans outnumbered their City counterparts by at least 5,000.

Leo Scienza's calm finish briefly sent the yellow half of Wembley into raptures

The on-loan Bayern Munich keeper was called upon to deny Marmoush at his near post 10 minutes before half time, a reminder that City can pounce at any moment.

With two added minutes signalled at the end of the half, Welington’s perfectly-timed sliding challenge to dispossess Rayan Cherki, City’s chief creator, was all the more impressive given the Brazilian was making his first start since February.

Saints were first to threaten after the restart when Azaz poked the ball through for Fellows, who found himself in behind Nathan Aké until the defender showed a tremendous turn of pace to stop him in his tracks.

At the other end Harwood-Bellis blocked a Marmoush shot before Cherki fired a dangerous ball across goal and Phil Foden skied one from 20 yards, suggesting City might be about to raise the stakes.

Guardiola introduced two wingers in Doku and Savinho in an attempt to stretch Saints, who were finding it increasingly difficult to get out.

Reijnders sent a curling effort towards the far corner that just did not bend back in quite enough to sneak inside Peretz’s far post, but the chances were racking up, not least when Marmoush sent City’s best chance to date over the crossbar, leaning back to meet Rayan Aït-Nouri’s cutback from the left.

Eckert responded with a double change of his own just after the hour mark, as Charles and Larin replaced Bragg and Stewart.

When Peretz dived to his right to keep out Savinho’s curling shot inside a crowded penalty area and the clock ticked down past 70 minutes, Guardiola called for further reinforcements in the shape of Nico O’Reilly and, inevitably, Haaland.

Finn Azaz celebrates his outstanding goal to open the scoring

By now it was one-way traffic. Peretz made another save to deny González, before Cherki’s rebound was blocked by Charles and Reijnders volleyed the loose ball wide.

Welington, to his credit, lasted 77 minutes before Eckert summoned Matsuki as an emergency left-back to take his place.

But it was in an attacking sense that the substitute made his mark. After Jander’s burst down the left, Scienza’s inside pass found Matsuki who in turn played the ball on to Azaz.

When the Irishman’s sharp turn set himself up for a curling shot from 20 yards, goalkeeper James Trafford was left clutching at thin air as Azaz’s shot beat the England international high to his left, sparking wild scenes of celebration behind that goal.

Saints had 11 minutes to hold out, but City took only three to hit back. When Doku stepped inside, his right-footed shot took a horrible bouncing deflection off James Bree, deceiving Peretz and finding the one part of the net the inspired stopper could not reach.

It was cruel on Saints, but worse was to follow. With City smelling blood, González lined up a shot from range that flew past Peretz’s dive and found the top corner to shatter Saints’ dreams.

Savinho should have wrapped things up after Peretz left his goal unguarded from a late corner, but Doku delayed his shot and took the unselfish route, only for Matsuki to brilliantly deny the Brazilian on the line.

With seven added minutes Saints gave it everything they could, but the quest to replicate the heroes of 1976 will have to wait at least one more year.

Manchester City: Trafford, Nunes, Stones (c), Aké, Aït-Nouri (O’Reilly 71), Kovačiċ (Doku 58), Nico, Foden (Savinho 58), Reijnders (Bernardo 85), Cherki, Marmoush (Haaland 71).

Subs not used: Donnarumma, Guéhi, Khusanov, Lewis.

Goals: Doku (82’), Nico (87’).

Southampton: Peretz, Bree (Archer 89), Harwood-Bellis (c), Wood, Welington (Matsuki 77), Bragg (Charles 61), Jander, Fellows (Edozie 89), Azaz, Scienza, Stewart (Larin 61).

Subs not used: Long, Quarshie, Jelert, Robinson.

Goals: Azaz (79’).

Booked: Harwood-Bellis.

Attendance: 70,053.

Referee: Craig Pawson.