Pep Guardiola orchestrated this FA Cup semi-final victory, with his late changes eventually resulting in Nico González scoring a once-in-a-lifetime winner. He did so while wearing a bespoke hoodie emblazoned with “P” to commemorate his 10 years at Manchester City.

Having a self-inspired fashion collection feels more fitting of a manager who has already left the building. Some believe this could be Guardiola’s final season and if that is the case, he has made the national stadium a second home for City. Etihad South, it has been called.

The showpiece on May 16 will be City’s fourth consecutive FA Cup final and the 24th visit to Wembley under Guardiola. If the epic victories against Arsenal and Southampton over the last week took an emotional and physical toll, that final week of the season will reach boiling point.

“The most iconic moments of his reign” inspired Puma’s hoodies stitched with Guardiola’s initial and González added to those with his winner here, finding the top corner when extra-time was in sight after Jérémy Doku had cancelled out Finn Azaz’s opener.

Nico Gonzalez scores a stunning goal, and it could be a huge moment at Wembley ⚡📺 Watch live on TNT Sports and HBO Max pic.twitter.com/llUcAmH8tu

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 25, 2026

“I don’t remember scoring one as good as that before and to do it at this stadium and this amazing atmosphere was incredible,” González said.

There are bigger battles for City in the next month, with a Premier League title within their sights having looked unlikely to challenge at the start of the year when they could not string victories together. Nobody at that stage would have thought they would compete for a domestic Treble.

But here they are, still waiting to hit top form. Guardiola was slumped in his chair sipping water when Azaz scored, but eventually his decisions turned the game – bringing on the cavalry after a Cup shock looked a possibility.

He did not particularly want to bring on Bernardo Silva or Doku, yet those first-choice players were on the pitch to turn this tie around. Erling Haaland also came on when the result was in the balance, Guardiola’s second-string struggling against opponents on the back of a 20-game unbeaten run.

City’s players were tested and Guardiola will be thankful that some of his fringe players have been given such an examination. It could be needed in the next month during “squeaky-bum time” in the title race. They all have three days off now before turning their attention to the league. Five healthy wins will see them crowned champions and defeating Leeds or Chelsea at Wembley will see them win the Cup.

“Six games, with every game we win, we’ll be there. We lose, it’s over,” Guardiola said. “It’s always nice to be here fighting against top teams. No team has made four finals in a row [before]. It’s extraordinary and hopefully we can arrive with a good momentum.”

"It's phenomenal." ✅Pep Guardiola reacts as Manchester City become the first side ever to reach four consecutive FA Cup finals 🏆📺 Watch live on TNT Sports and HBO Max pic.twitter.com/8zHew69itO

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 25, 2026

There were patches of empty seats in the City end of the stadium, which was down to a number of factors. There will surely be a time when City miss these trips to Wembley. Under Guardiola there have been 23 so far – so regular that they have become routine. “They will come to the final, you’ll see,” Guardiola said.

With the cost of filling up a car to travel down the M6 and limited trains to get back to Manchester in the evening, the City end was outnumbered by 35,000 Southampton fans creating a wall of yellow. The Football Association gave them special dispensation to wear the colour they sported in the 1976 final when, as a Second Division team, they shocked Manchester United.  “Yellow. Yellow,” was the droning chant from the Saints end.

Saints players threw bodies at the ball and blocked shots on goals, then took their chance in spectacular style when it came their way with 11 minutes remaining. Azaz, with options to consider in the penalty area, went for goal with a curler the angled into the top corner. No wonder he was patting his own back in the celebrations.

Wonder goal from Azaz and Southampton lead 1-0 at Wembley ⚽📺 Watch live on TNT Sports and HBO Max pic.twitter.com/ZZ3rBPYBSA

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 25, 2026

But the lead only lasted a few minutes, with City working the ball around the edge of the penalty area before eventually finding Doku in a position to shoot. His effort kissed off James Bree, cruelly wrong-footing Daniel Peretz, the Southampton goalkeeper, who had been equal to everything thrown at him beforehand.