Match ends, Southampton 1, Manchester City 4.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says not many players in world football could have scored Phil Foden's goal in the 4-1 win at Southampton.
The Saints were in contention for more than an hour in a tight encounter at St Mary's after Aymeric Laporte's own goal on the stroke of half-time cancelled out Raheem Sterling's early effort.
This FA Cup quarter-final turned on Mohammed Salisu's reckless challenge on Gabriel Jesus that saw Kevin de Bruyne restore City's lead from the penalty spot after 62 minutes, effectively ending Southampton's challenge.
Foden came off the bench to score a magnificent third and Riyad Mahrez rounded the afternoon off with 12 minutes left.
Guardiola claimed Foden and Mahrez made the difference in breaking down a brave Southampton side.
Speaking about the 21-year-old England international's goal, the City boss said: "A few, there are not many but a few, he is one of them who has [the ability to score from there].
"He has an incredible shot, he's quick, fast, he's a fantastic player - we know it. Close to the box he has a sense of goal, he was really brilliant.
"It was a tight game, it was [like] in the Premier League games against Southampton because of the quality they have. They are incredibly organised and in front of the ball they are so aggressive and of course have a good build-up.
"But after 2-1, the second half we were much much better and in the end the quality from Phil and Riyad made the difference."
City will face Liverpool for a place in the final, while Chelsea take on Crystal Palace in the other semi-final.
Man City get the job done
Manchester City ran out emphatic winners but until Salisu's needless intervention that resulted in De Bruyne's penalty they were threatening to pay a price for carelessness in possession.
Once De Bruyne had scored, however, City showed the quality and ruthlessness that has put them at the top of the Premier League and still in contention for the FA Cup and Champions League.
Manager Pep Guardiola can also introduce such strength off the bench, illustrated by the contributions from Foden and Mahrez.
Foden's 75th-minute goal was a thing of beauty, a rising drive from 20 yards that made a sweet thudding sounded that echoed around St Mary's once he struck with his left foot.
Mahrez scored one goal and could have had more but once again the great orchestrator was man-of-the-match De Bruyne, pulling the strings and stepping forward to beat Fraser Forster with a penalty that put City back in charge.
The fact that City can win so convincingly without touching the heights they are capable of will sound an ominous warning to anyone wanting to deprive them of any of those three major prizes they will contest between now and the end of the season.
Saints undone by Salisu challenge
Southampton were giving as good as they were getting until Salisu's unnecessary tackle on Jesus, hardly in a dangerous position and with the game in the balance.
City gratefully accepted the gift and a vibrant atmosphere inside a packed St Mary's was instantly subdued as if both Southampton's players and fans sensed this was the decisive moment.
And so it proved as City took advantage of deflated Saints, who had played with so much energy and deserved so much credit for that first 62 minutes, even hitting the post through Adam Armstrong at 0-0.
The high-intensity style that has made them such difficult opponents for so many teams this season was rushing City into errors in possession, one of which required a fine save from keeper Zack Steffen moments before De Bruyne put the visitors back in front.
Saints might even have scored a second equaliser when substitute Che Adams' point-blank effort was blocked by Steffen but this was an FA Cup quarter-final that had its destiny decided by Salisu's challenge.
This is not to say Southampton would have gone on to win but that incident changed the emphasis of the tie and Ralph Hasenhuttl's team had handed the initiative back to Manchester City, never the best of ideas.
Saints have contributed much to the FA Cup this season but all that remains now is for them to continue to ensure Premier League respectability and consolidation in a season that has contained plenty of promise.
Player of the match
De BruyneKevin De Bruyne
Southampton
Avg
- Squad number21Player nameLivramentoAverage rating
6.67
- Squad number17Player nameS ArmstrongAverage rating
6.58
- Squad number10Player nameAdamsAverage rating
6.54
- Squad number2Player nameWalker-PetersAverage rating
6.26
- Squad number24Player nameElyounoussiAverage rating
6.25
- Squad number44Player nameForsterAverage rating
6.07
- Squad number6Player nameOriol RomeuAverage rating
6.05
- Squad number18Player nameBrojaAverage rating
5.94
- Squad number9Player nameA ArmstrongAverage rating
5.83
- Squad number7Player nameLongAverage rating
5.82
- Squad number8Player nameWard-ProwseAverage rating
5.79
- Squad number19Player nameDjenepoAverage rating
5.66
- Squad number22Player nameSalisuAverage rating
5.59
- Squad number20Player nameSmallboneAverage rating
5.55
- Squad number5Player nameStephensAverage rating
5.31
- Squad number27Player nameDialloAverage rating
5.31
Manchester City
Avg
- Squad number17Player nameDe BruyneAverage rating
7.23
- Squad number26Player nameMahrezAverage rating
7.17
- Squad number47Player nameFodenAverage rating
7.02
- Squad number7Player nameSterlingAverage rating
6.55
- Squad number27Player nameJoão CanceloAverage rating
6.52
- Squad number2Player nameWalkerAverage rating
6.41
- Squad number5Player nameStonesAverage rating
6.38
- Squad number8Player nameGündoganAverage rating
6.38
- Squad number11Player nameZinchenkoAverage rating
6.31
- Squad number16Player nameRodriAverage rating
6.28
- Squad number9Player nameGabriel JesusAverage rating
5.95
- Squad number25Player nameFernandinhoAverage rating
5.95
- Squad number6Player nameAkéAverage rating
5.85
- Squad number14Player nameLaporteAverage rating
5.62
- Squad number13Player nameSteffenAverage rating
5.56
- Squad number10Player nameGrealishAverage rating
5.44
Line-ups
Southampton
Formation 4-4-2
- 44Forster
- 21Livramento
- 5Stephens
- 22Salisu
- 2Walker-Peters
- 17S ArmstrongSubstituted forDjenepoat 83'minutes
- 6RomeuSubstituted forSmallboneat 88'minutes
- 8Ward-Prowse
- 24ElyounoussiSubstituted forDialloat 88'minutes
- 9A ArmstrongSubstituted forAdamsat 63'minutes
- 7LongSubstituted forBrojaat 63'minutes
Substitutes
- 10Adams
- 11Redmond
- 13Caballero
- 15Perraud
- 18Broja
- 19Djenepo
- 20Smallbone
- 27Diallo
- 43Valery
Man City
Formation 4-3-3
- 13SteffenBooked at 71mins
- 2Walker
- 5Stones
- 14LaporteSubstituted forAkéat 82'minutes
- 27CanceloSubstituted forZinchenkoat 82'minutes
- 17De Bruyne
- 16RodriSubstituted forFernandinhoat 82'minutes
- 8Gündogan
- 9Gabriel JesusSubstituted forMahrezat 64'minutes
- 10GrealishSubstituted forFodenat 63'minutes
- 7Sterling
Substitutes
- 6Aké
- 11Zinchenko
- 20Bernardo Silva
- 25Fernandinho
- 26Mahrez
- 33Carson
- 47Foden
- Referee:
- Mike Dean
- Attendance:
- 29,702
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home36%
- Away64%
- Shots
- Home13
- Away19
- Shots on Target
- Home3
- Away6
- Corners
- Home6
- Away6
- Fouls
- Home5
- Away5
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Southampton 1, Manchester City 4.
Post update
Attempt missed. Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) header from very close range misses to the right. Assisted by Ilkay Gündogan with a cross.
Post update
Foul by Phil Foden (Manchester City).
Post update
Jack Stephens (Southampton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Southampton. Ibrahima Diallo replaces Mohamed Elyounoussi.
Substitution
Substitution, Southampton. William Smallbone replaces Oriol Romeu.
Post update
Attempt missed. Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne.
Post update
Attempt saved. Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Kevin De Bruyne.
Substitution
Substitution, Southampton. Moussa Djenepo replaces Stuart Armstrong.
Substitution
Substitution, Manchester City. Nathan Aké replaces Aymeric Laporte.
Substitution
Substitution, Manchester City. Fernandinho replaces Rodri.
Substitution
Substitution, Manchester City. Oleksandr Zinchenko replaces João Cancelo.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Stuart Armstrong (Southampton) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Oriol Romeu with a headed pass.
Post update
Corner, Southampton. Conceded by John Stones.
Post update
Corner, Southampton. Conceded by John Stones.
Goal!
Goal! Southampton 1, Manchester City 4. Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City) left footed shot from the right side of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Ilkay Gündogan.
Goal!
Goal! Southampton 1, Manchester City 3. Phil Foden (Manchester City) left footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner.
Post update
Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Valentino Livramento.
Post update
Attempt missed. Kyle Walker-Peters (Southampton) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.
Comments
Join the conversation
Our defending was awful!
City looked like football's answer to Harlem's globetrotters. The three touches for the fourth goal gave a feeling of time slowing down.
Living in the wonderFoden world.
KDB Player of the year.
At the end City too good.
Phil Foden is almost as important as KDB.
Clumsy for the pen, but it was 100% a pen.
Only wish Pep had made substitutions like that against Palace!
You would never think that it was on, given how everyone is banging on about Liverpool's quadruple bid.
And I'm a Liverpool fan.