Manchester City head to the south coast on Sunday as they take on Southampton in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
The Cityzens will be looking to take another step towards securing their seventh FA Cup crown, having most recently triumphed in 2019.
Cup countdown! ⏳🏆#ManCity pic.twitter.com/lOFiRMhgI6— Manchester City (@ManCity) March 17, 2022
Cup countdown! ⏳🏆#ManCity pic.twitter.com/lOFiRMhgI6
Southampton’s first and only FA Cup triumph came all the way back in 1976. They last reached the final in 2003 but were beaten by Arsenal on that occasion.
The Saints kicked off this season’s FA Cup campaign with an extra-time victory over Swansea City before edging out Coventry City in the fourth round.
Earlier this month, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side claimed a 3-1 win against West Ham United to book their spot in the quarter-finals.
However, Southampton’s Premier League form has taken a turn for the worse of late. They have lost each of their previous three league games while conceding eight goals.
Given that Hasenhuttl’s men suffered just one Premier League defeat in ten games between mid-December and late February, they have dropped off at just the wrong time.
On the flip side, Man City’s route to the quarter-finals has been straightforward. In fact, they have yet to face a Premier League side in this season’s competition.
Pep Guardiola’s men claimed 4-1 wins over Swindon Town and Fulham before beating Peterborough United 2-0 in the previous round.
The Cityzens were held to a goalless draw by Crystal Palace on Monday, despite racking up 74% possession and 18 shots.
Still, they remain in control of the title race after winning 16 of their last 19 Premier League matches – suffering just a single loss along the way.
Head-to-head: Southampton have only managed to win one of their previous 13 meetings with Man City across all competitions.
That said, the Saints have managed to hold the Cityzens to a draw in each of their last two Premier League encounters.
Team news: Southampton are currently without the injured duo of Alex McCarthy and Lyanco. Armando Broja and Nathan Tella are also doubts for Sunday’s clash.
As for Man City, they have Ruben Dias sidelined for the foreseeable future. There are also question marks over the fitness of Cole Palmer.
Southampton are expected to push Manchester City all the way on Sunday, but Guardiola’s men should come out on top.
With that in mind, Forebet predicts that Man City will secure a low-scoring victory over Southampton.