Man City participant scores as 4/10 flops survive big Southampton scare in FA Cup semi-final

Southampton gave Manchester City an almighty scare in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley but it was Pep Guardiola’s side who managed to get over the line

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Manchester City avoided a colossal FA Cup upset as they secured their place in the final for a fourth consecutive year following a last-gasp 2-1 victory over Southampton.

Finn Azaz put the Saints ahead with a stunning curling shot in the 79th minute, to make the Championship side’s fans dream of a momentous win at Wembley Stadium, against a heavily rotated City side. Pep Guardiola was a relieved man when City’s Belgian winger Jeremy Doku levelled the score shortly afterwards in the 82nd minute, with a fortunate deflected strike.

As the clock ticked down, Nico Gonzalez clinched the victory with a spectacular goal of his own, as he blasted an unstoppable rocket from distance into the net in the 87th minute. The triumph means City will go head-to-head with either Chelsea or Leeds United in next month’s final. Here are the Manchester City player ratings from the Manchester Evening News.

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First XI

James Trafford: Not much to do. Had to think on his feet to play the role of sweeper. 6

Matheus Nunes: Reliable at full-back but had a scare with an injury towards the end of the first half. Was fit enough to carry on and performed well after the interval. 6

John Stones: Confident on his return. Aptly wore the captain’s armband at Wembley. 6

Nathan Ake: Made a crucial interception in an otherwise uneventful first half. He did brilliantly to prevent a scoring opportunity shortly after the restart. 7

Rayan Ait-Nouri: Similar to Nunes in the first 45 minutes. Posed a greater attacking threat in the second half before being substituted. 6

Nico Gonzalez: A sturdy performance anchoring midfield. Looked at ease alongside Kovacic and then unleashed a stunner to secure the win. 7

Mateo Kovacic: Located the gaps nicely to connect play. His run nearly resulted in a goal and he was substituted merely to manage his game time. 7

Rayan Cherki: Subdued opening 45 minutes but came alive after the interval. Far from his finest display. 6

Tijjani Reijnders: Rattled the woodwork early on, though the offside flag was raised. Ought to have found the net with 20 minutes remaining. 6

Phil Foden: Appeared sluggish throughout. Bullied off the ball by Caspar Jander in a moment that epitomised his afternoon. 4

Omar Marmoush: Far too indecisive when presented with scoring opportunities. He enjoyed numerous chances but couldn’t take any of them. Withdrawn for Haaland. 4

Substitutes

Jeremy Doku: Ignited City’s revival and tormented the Saints backline. Might have wrapped up victory in the dying moments. 8

Savinho: Drew an excellent stop from the keeper. 6

Erling Haaland: Understated cameo appearance. 6

Nico O’Reilly: Dependable showing at full-back. 6

Bernardo Silva: Assisted in steadying the side. 6