FA Cup: The Saints are Marching to Wembley

Manchester City vs Southampton

The FA Cup semi-finals are filled with intrigue, as Pep Guardiola’s treble-chasing City face Championship side Southampton, while the other semi-final pits together Chelsea and Leeds United, two old foes whose rivalry dates to 1970 when they played out the most brutal FA Cup final in living memory. 

Manchester City reached the semi-final thanks to an impressive 4-0 drubbing of Liverpool, while Southampton made the biggest FA Cup 2026 news of the round with a 2-1 victory over the Gunners.  And both teams are hoping for a league and cup double of sorts.   

City’s visit to Burnley on Wednesday ended with the Sky Blues relegating the Clarets and going top of the table. And while they laboured to a 1-0 win, it was another huge step towards regaining the title they lost to Liverpool last season. Meanwhile, the Saints have been on a superb run in both cup and league and have not given up on automatic promotion back to the Premier League.     

 

Talking Points

City’s treble dreams are fast becoming a reality  

The latest FA Cup 2026 betting odds make Guardiola’s Sky Blues the clear favourites to win the oldest trophy in the world. And to do that, they must beat Southampton and either Chelsea or Leeds United. I suspect the Sky Blues will fancy their chances, but they will take no risks and are certainly looking something near their relentless best.  

City’s win over Arsenal last week put them in the box seat in the Premier League, and to follow that up with a victory at Turf Moor, while largely expected, was critically important, and now the Premier League betting odds have shifted from North London to Manchester at precisely the right moment. A fifth-minute goal from Erling Haaland was enough to beat the Clarets, and that put him on 24 league goals for the campaign and on target for a Golden Boot. But the Sky Blues could, and should have scored more with 28 shots, Haaland and Rayan Cherki both hitting the woodwork, and goal difference could be vital at the final count.  

Arsenal play twice before the Sky Blues have another league game, against Fulham and Newcastle United, and will aim to shift the pressure back onto City. But Guardiola’s men have been there and done that before, while the Gunners have finished second for the last three years. And City already have one pot in the trophy cabinet after beating Arsenal 2-0 to win the Carabao Cup.        

 

Saints eye a Premier return 

After finishing bottom of the English top-flight last season, Southampton are in good shape to bounce back at the first attempt, up to fourth, and, if they need to navigate the play-offs, the Saints are certainly the team in form. 

Southampton made a slow start to their campaign, but head coach Tonda Eckert, the 33-year-old trainer who always wanted a football career, has galvanised them impressively. Eckert moved from his native Germany to England to work on the coaching team at Barnsley in 2020, and then he worked for Genoa in Serie A from 2022 to 2025, where he got his UEFA Pro Licence, which he now uses to lead the Saints. 

His team was simply superb in the FA Cup quarter-final as goals from Ross Stewart and the excellent Shea Charles downed the Gunners, with Viktor Gyokeres making it 2-1. And now they have set their sights on another giant of the Premier League – the biggest of them all. 

 

History

Manchester City have won the FA Cup seven times, the last occasion in 2023, while the Saints were famously winners in 1976 when a Bobby Stokes goal gave Southampton a 1-0 win over Manchester United. In terms of head-to-head results, Manchester City have won 18 to Southampton’s four, and there have been five draws.  

City have won five and lost one of their last six games, while the Saints have won five and drawn one as they march up the Championship table into fourth place and with a good chance of bouncing back to the Premier League.  

 

Betting Tip

The Sky Blues are priced here at SBOTOP at 1.20 to win, but Southampton fans won’t care a lot about that. The Saints are going well in the league and might well be back in the Premier League next term, but for now, this is a great day out and a chance to enjoy themselves at the famous Wembley Stadium.

Southampton are priced at 8.40 to win, which is shorter than Burnley were when they played at home to the Sky Blues on Wednesday, so could another shock be on the cards? I doubt it, and I expect goals. For a correct scoreline, a 3-1 City win is at 10.00, and a 4-0 is at 11.50.

   

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