Manchester City is trying to find their winning streak again in the crucial stage of the season. Southampton is very close to the historical milestone when they are only 11 minutes away from the FA Cup final - the last time a Championship team did it was Cardiff City in 2008. But then, the familiar scenario under Pep Guardiola reappeared. Man City always knows how to win when the title is within reach.
The turning point came in the 79th minute, when Finn Azaz unleashed a classy shot to open the score, rekindling hope for Southampton and making Guardiola's strong rotation choice seem counterproductive. In the context of having to distribute energy for the Premier League race, he replaced up to 8 positions compared to the previous Burnley victory.
However, the difference comes from the bench. Familiar names like Jeremy Doku, Erling Haaland, Nico O'Reilly and Bernardo Silva have turned things around.
Doku is the biggest highlight. He brought a breakthrough, contributing to the equalizer before Nico Gonzalez unleashed a powerful long-range shot from a distance of 30m, completing the comeback that brought Man City to the FA Cup final for the fourth consecutive time.
If this is Guardiola's last season, his students are clearly wanting to close with a complete ending, commensurate with nearly a decade of dominance at Etihad.
For Southampton, the only consolation is that the opportunity to return to the Premier League is still there, especially if they overcome Ipswich Town in the upcoming key match.
There are only 6 matches left. If we win, we have a chance. If not, everything will end. What defines the team is not just titles, but stability and consecutive finals" - Guardiola admitted.
However, not all of them left a positive impression. Phil Foden disappointed in his rare start, playing faintly and leaving the field early. However, Guardiola still defended his student: "It's not easy to play in a cramped space and being tightly marked. He needs time and will come back".
Ahead of Man City are 6 decisive matches - 5 in the Premier League and the FA Cup final against Chelsea or Leeds United. The opportunity to win the full set of domestic titles is gradually becoming clear.
And as usual under Guardiola, they still always know how to win at the most important moment.
They are unbeaten in 19 matches, so I never thought this match would be easy. The energy we had in the second half from Jeremy Doku and Savinho helped, but if they started from the beginning, they would not have this energy. Especially when playing every 3 days, the risk of injury is very high. The starters who deserve to play, they have helped the whole team.
The first half was not bad. We didn't let them create many chances. In the second half, the whole team played at the same level as the match against Burnley, but unfortunately when it came to the penalty area, we were not sharp enough" - Guardiola added.
