LONDON — Pep Guardiola hailed Manchester City’s feat of becoming the first side to ever reach four consecutive FA Cup finals after a late fightback denied Southampton a shock victory at Wembley.
The Saints were heading towards their first final in 23 years when Finn Azaz’s brilliant finish put the Championship side in front 11 minutes from time, AFP reported.
City, though, hit back immediately through Jeremy Doku before Nico Gonzalez’s sensational strike edged the semi-final 2-1.
Guardiola’s men have lost their last two FA Cup finals to Crystal Palace and Manchester United. They beat the Red Devils in 2023.
City, who will face Chelsea or Leeds in the final, are now well in contention for a domestic treble.
Guardiola’s men lifted the League Cup last month and are locked in a tight battle for the Premier League title with Arsenal.
“No team has made four finals in a row. It’s extraordinary and hopefully we can arrive with a good momentum,” said Guardiola.
The City manager’s decision to make eight changes from the side that beat Burnley 1-0 on Wednesday looked misguided as Southampton enjoyed the better of the first half.
But Guardiola’s side improved markedly after the break and were aided by the introduction of Doku, Erling Haaland and Bernardo Silva off the bench.
“It was difficult but the wingers (Doku and Savinho) when they came in changed the pace,” added Guardiola.
“The first time they crossed the halfway line they made a fantastic goal. Football is always unpredictable but the way we played in the second half was extraordinary.”
