Guardiola reflects on Man City’s mood before Southampton’s FA Cup clash
Head coach Pep Guardiola admitted that both he and his Manchester City squad anticipated a stern challenge in their FA Cup semi-final clash with Southampton on Saturday, April 25,2026, at Wembley Stadium.
The manager pointed to Southampton’s impressive unbeaten streak and their previous victory over Arsenal as clear signs that the encounter would not be straightforward. Despite falling behind late in the game, City rallied strongly, with late goals turning the match around and sealing their place in yet another FA Cup final.
Guardiola’s reflection
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Reflecting on the contest, Guardiola emphasised the importance of energy and squad management, especially given the demanding schedule. He explained that some players were introduced later to maintain intensity and reduce the risk of injuries, while also acknowledging the contributions of those who started the match.
“They were 19 games unbeaten, so I never thought it would be easy,” Pep said.
He noted that City controlled large spells of the game, particularly after the break, but lacked sharpness in front of goal. Eventually, a moment of brilliance and persistence made the difference, highlighting the unpredictable nature of football.
Guardiola also praised Southampton’s organisation and defensive discipline, while expressing satisfaction with his team’s second-half display, which he described as relentless in creating opportunities.
Individual performance
Turning attention to individual performances, he commended Jérémy Doku’s development and attacking threat, especially in one-on-one situations, where he proved extremely difficult to contain.
“So the energy we had in the second half from Jeremy and Savinho [helped, but], if they started from the beginning they would not have this energy.
“Because Jeremy, especially when you play three days, three days, three days, the risk of getting injured is so massive. The players [who started] deserved to play, they helped us.
“The first half was not bad. We didn’t concede much. In the second half, we played at the level we played in Burnley but unfortunately we arrived in the 18-yard box, and we were not clinical enough.
“You have to wait for the holding midfielder to score an outstanding goal. And Jeremy with the first. How many times in the second half did Southampton cross the halfway? One. And what a goal.
“Football is unpredictable. Big credit for the way they defend, the way they play.
“And, again, the team in the second half was really exceptional. The amount of ‘go, go, go’. We create chance after chance after chance.
“But football is like this. We equalise through the deflection. When you analyse, we created chances – more clear than that. That’s football.”
Preparing for the final
Guardiola concluded by reiterating that matches of such magnitude are rarely comfortable and reaffirmed that his side will regroup and prepare for the final in the coming weeks.
“The way Jeremy grew up in the last two seasons in terms of impact, he is an incredible threat.
“He is almost impossible when 1 v 1 in the final third. He had a lot of help, 2 against 1, 3 against 1. The full back has to be so aggressive.
“The effort was there. We knew it, semi-final of the FA Cup. You cannot expect that it will be easy.
“We will be back in a few weeks.”
Manchester City are now firmly on course to win a treble this season, after clinching the Carabao Cup, both the FA Cup and the Premier League dreams are still valid.
