Pep Guardiola defends Manchester City over criticism of their exuberant celebrations
Pep Guardiola defends Manchester City over criticism of their exuberant celebrations
Manchester City produced a dramatic late fightback to reach their fourth successive FA Cup final with a remarkable 2-1 win over Championship Southampton.
A slow-burner of a semi-final came alive as Finn Azaz put Saints on course for a shock Wembley win when he curled home a sublime goal with 11 minutes remaining.
Yet that served only to spark City into action and substitute Jeremy Doku quickly equalised with a deflected strike before Nico Gonzalez won it with an 87th-minute piledriver.
For a few minutes Southampton dreamt of emulating their 1976 cup heroes by booking a return to the final on the 50th anniversary of that triumph but it was City’s treble quest that remained alive.
City won the Carabao Cup on their previous visit to the national stadium last month and they will return in May to play Leeds or Chelsea for another trophy.
In the meantime they will refocus on Premier League action, hoping to keep the pressure on Arsenal at the top of the table.