Manchester City used force to overcome a serious Southampton challenge and secure a place in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.

In this FA Cup quarter-final, Mohammed Salisou recklessly challenged Gabriel Jesus, resulting in Kevin de Bruyne restoring City’s lead from a 62nd-minute penalty, effectively ending Southampton’s struggles.

Substitute Phil Foden’s superb left foot put an end to any faint hope of a Saints comeback and with City in full control, Riyad Mahrez added a fourth with 12 minutes to go.

Man City are up to the task

Manchester City lost clear winners, but before Salis’ unnecessary interference that resulted in a De Bruyne penalty, they threatened to pay the price for sloppy possession.

However, after De Bruyne scored the goal, City showed the quality and ruthlessness that saw them take first place in the Premier League and still qualify for the FA Cup and the Champions League.

Manager Josep Guardiola can also show that kind of strength off the bench, as evidenced by the contributions of Foden and Mahrez.

Foden’s goal in the 75th minute was beautiful: a 20-yard shot made a sweet thud that echoed through St. Mary’s as soon as he hit with his left foot.

Mahrez scored one goal and could have scored more, but once again the great conductor was Man of the Match De Bruyne, who pulled the strings and stepped forward to beat Fraser Forster on penalties to put City back in the lead.

The fact that City can win so convincingly without touching the heights they are capable of will sound like an ominous warning to anyone who wants to deprive them of any of the top three trophies they’ll be fighting for until the end of the season.

Saints Destroyed by Calling Salis

Southampton were giving as well as they were getting, until Mohammed Salisu made an unnecessary tackle on Jesus, hardly in a dangerous position and with a game in the balance.

City gratefully accepted the gift and the flamboyant atmosphere at the crowded St Mary’s subsided instantly, as if both the Southampton players and the supporters sensed the moment had come.

And so it turned out when City took advantage of the weakened Saints, who played with such energy and deserved so much praise in the first 62 minutes.

The intense style of play that has made them such difficult opponents for many teams this season has pushed City to errors in possession, one of which required a good save from goalkeeper Zach Steffen seconds before de Bruyne took the visitors out. back forward.

Saints could even equalize a second time when substitute Che Adams was blocked at point-blank range by Steffen, but it was an FA Cup quarter-final that was decided by a Salis challenge.

This does not mean that Southampton would have won, but this incident changed the focus of the match and Ralph Hasenhüttl’s team returned the initiative to Manchester City, which was never the best idea.

The Saints have made a big contribution to the FA Cup this season, but all they have left now is to continue to ensure respectability and consolidation of the Premier League in a season that has been promising.