What a barnstorming finish to this FA Cup semi-final that featured three goals in eight minutes and ended with Nico González as the hero who swept Manchester City to a historic fourth consecutive final.
The Spaniard’s winner came in the 87th-minute. Bernardo Silva, only just introduced by Pep Guardiola, tapped to Jérémy Doku, who fed González. From outside Southampton’s area, to the left, the midfielder let go a rising shot that smacked the net and left Tonda Eckert’s team heartbroken, after taking the lead only moments before.
This was when, on 79 minutes, Finn Azaz appeared to seize a moment of classic Cup glory. The No 10 received the ball on his left foot before, 25 yards out, swivelling and curling a peach, with his right, that flew beyond the flailing James Trafford to beat City’s goalkeeper high and to his left.
Yet despite Eckert’s side feeling ecstatic and their fans singing “When the Saints go marching in”, City do what City do. Doku, also on as a replacement, danced from the left to a central zone and hit an equaliser that beat Daniel Peretz, Southampton’s goalkeeper, to his left due to a James Bree deflection.
Cue delirium in the sky blue zone though Kuryu Matsuki nearly grabbed an instantaneous second for Saints when moving upfield, Trafford tipping the effort over.
