Manchester City turn their attention to FA Cup semi-final vs Southampton on Saturday.
The Blues advanced to top of the Premier League after a 1-0 win vs Burnley on Wednesday.
This will be Pep Guardiola’s ninth FA Cup semi-final out of a possible 10 as Man City manager
Manchester City travel to London this weekend to face Southampton at Wembley for a place in the FA Cup final against Chelsea or Leeds United.
City moved back to top of the pile in the Premier League on Wednesday, beating Burnley 0-1 away at Turf Moor – a result which subsequently relegated the Clarets to the EFL Championship.
Erling Haaland’s goal in the fifth minute proved to be enough for City to take all three points in what wasn’t the most spectacular performance from the Blues.
It was Burnley who had the first opportunity of the game, Jaidon Anthony’s curled effort towards the far corner was saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Manchester City vs Southampton (FA Cup Semi-Final): Match Preview, Team News, Head to Head, How to Watch
City then powered forward from there and Haaland took his chance when it came, Jeremy Doku burst past Bashir Humphreys and played a perfectly weighted ball through to Haaland in space, who took a couple of touches in his stride and chipped the ball over Martin Dubravka to give City the lead with just under five minutes played.
From there it was pure domination from City but no more goals to show for it. The Blues had 28 shots on goal, with nine of them being on target.
The one goal lead proved to be nervy at points in the game, with Burnley moving the ball with purpose at times but City held on to ensure they moved to top spot.
But now they will play in the FA Cup final four once again with the target being to reach a fourth consecutive final in the competition.
The seven-time champions of the FA Cup defeated Liverpool 4-0 in the quarter-final of the competition three weeks ago to reach this stage, having won their last five games in all competitions.
As for Championship side Southampton, they shocked City’s title rivals Arsenal with a 2-1 win over in the quarter-final to set up a challenging battle with Pep Guardiola‘s domestic treble hopefuls.
The Saints do pose a threat to City, currently unbeaten their last 20 matches across all competitions, winning eight out of the last nine of those games.
City themselves are on an unbeaten run of their own, not losing a domestic match for 16 games since a 2-0 loss versus crosstown rivals Manchester United.
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With that said, here’s how we think Pep Guardiola’s side will set up at Wembley Stadium.
James Trafford has played in every domestic cup match Manchester City have played this season, and that run is expected to continue. City won the Carabao Cup last month with the 23-year-old impressing between the sticks. He has kept a clean sheet in seven out of the 14 appearances he has made this season.
Matheus Nunes has been City’s first-choice right-back this season and has proved to be a vital player in this campaign. The Portugal international will be looking to continue his brilliant form to secure a starting spot at the FIFA World Cup in the coming months.