MANCHESTER CITY THRASH SOUTHAMPTON TO REACH FA CUP SEMI-FINALS.
FA Cup quarter-final, St Mary’s – Southampton 1 (Laporte og 45+2’) Manchester City 4 (Sterling 12’, De Bruyne 62’ pen, Foden 75’, Mahrez 78’).
Manchester City booked their place in the semi-finals of the FA Cup as they emphatically dispatched Southampton 4-1 at St Mary’s.
City took the lead after just 12 minutes, with Jack Stephens’ mistake at the back for Southampton punished. Gabriel Jesus intercepted his poor clearance before laying the ball off to Raheem Sterling inside the box. The attacker then scored with an easy tap-in from close range beyond Fraser Forster.
City should have been two up just before the half-hour mark, as Ilkay Gundogan smacked the post from just a few yards out.
That missed chance proved costly as Southampton found a fortuitous equaliser in first-half stoppage time, as Aymeric Laporte strangely flicked Mohammed Elyounoussi’s cross into his own net.
City were awarded a penalty halfway through the second half as Mohammed Salisu tripped Jesus in the box. Kevin De Bruyne dispatched the resulting spot-kick underneath the outstretched arm of Forster to restore City’s advantage.
Pep Guardiola’s side then put themselves out of reach with a three-minute double salvo with 15 minutes to go. Phil Foden added City’s third with an outstanding finish from the edge of the area, before Riyad Mahrez added the fourth with a superb low finish at the near post to complete the rout.
