1 month ago
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Preamble
Manchester City person had nan spot betwixt their teeth successful nan FA Cup this season. In nan 3rd round, they put 10 goals past Exeter City, becoming nan first top-flight nine to notch double figures successful nan title since Bill Nicholson’s celebrated Tottenham Hotspur broadside scored 13 times against Crewe successful 1960. They’ve since gone to Newcastle and recovered nan nett 3 times, thrashed Liverpool, nan reigning champions of England, by 4 goals, and … well, they only managed 2 against fourth-tier Salford successful nan 4th round, but let’s not spoil nan effect. They’re UP FOR THE CUP, and what’s more, this will beryllium their eighth consecutive FA Cup semi-final successful a play which covers 21 matches against lower-league teams, City winning them each to nan cumulative scoreline of 84-11. Eight successful a row! 84-11! Southampton could beryllium forgiven for not turning up.
But Southampton will move up, and pinch bully reason. Saints held City astatine St Mary’s towards nan tail extremity of past season, having given Pep Guardiola’s men a bully crippled astatine nan Etihad earlier successful nan campaign. And past location was that Nathan Jones inspired League Cup triumph early successful 2023. So this is not needfully a dream match-up for City, ne'er mind a shoo-in, and that’s earlier 1 considers nan accent they’ll surely, understandably, beryllium putting connected their pursuit of nan Premier League, pinch Rodri improbable to beryllium risked this day … and that Pep is not immune to being unceremoniously cashiered from nan expansive aged competition, just inquire Wigan. Oh, and there’s besides the mode successful which Saints majestically swiped speech Arsenal successful nan quarters: they’re UP FOR THE CUP too, and if Tonda Eckert’s squad play for illustration that again, City will person a fewer problems to solve.
So this is group up deliciously, pinch some clubs and their fans daring to dream. City person their oculus connected becoming nan first squad successful history to scope 4 consecutive FA Cup finals, en way to their 3rd FA Cup assistance successful 8 seasons, and a imaginable home treble. Saints meantime want to people nan 50th day of their proudest day pinch their 2nd FA Cup win, and reaching a first last since 2003 is nan basal adjacent step. Could beryllium a cracker; let’s dream so. Kick-off is astatine 5.15pm BST. It’s on!
