Manchester City secured their place in the 2025/26 Emirates FA Cup final after mounting a stirring 2-1 comeback win against Championship side Southampton at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
The underdogs neutralised City’s early attacking threats and stunned the Premier League champions by taking a shock lead in the 79th minute. Finn Azaz curled a precise shot into the top-right corner to put Southampton ahead.
Yet the advantage lasted just three minutes. Jeremy Doku drew City level in the 82nd minute when his effort from the edge of the box took a fortunate deflection and found the net.
Energised by the equaliser, City overwhelmed Southampton’s defence in search of a winner. Nico Gonzalez delivered in the 87th minute, firing home from nearly 30 yards to seal the victory for Pep Guardiola’s side.
The Cityzens will now face the winners of the other semi-final between Chelsea and Leeds United in next month’s final.
City remain on course for a domestic treble, having won the Carabao Cup last month. They trail Premier League leaders Arsenal by just three points with a game in hand.
“What a game! Honestly, I need to rest a bit now. The last 15 to 20 minutes were unbelievable. We were pushing hard, and as soon as they scored, we thought, ‘Wow, OK – we have to score!’ We got one, then a second. A third final in three years for me – I’m so happy. Glory to Jesus, honestly. I’m grateful to play in stadiums like this,” Doku said after the match.
He added: “Southampton are a good team. I’m not surprised they are 19 games unbeaten, and I’m not surprised they are going to be promoted to the Premier League. They played a very good game.”
