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Manchester City vs Southampton FA Cup Preview: Odds, Tips & Prediction

Date: Saturday, April 25 Venue: Wembley Stadium Kick-off: 17:15 (GMT) Manchester City are back at Wembley, and they will be looking to seal another Cup Final trip when they face Southampton in the FA Cup on Saturday. The FA Cup always stirs up interest given its prestige as a domestic competition, and you can count on reliable online bookies to serve up a variety of pre-match lines.

Charles Perrin
Charles Perrin
Sports Betting Writer
Chad Nagel
Sports Betting & Casino Editor

5 minread

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Erling Haaland of Manchester City scores for 4-0 during the Emirates FA Cup Quarter

Erling Haaland of Manchester City scores for 4-0 during the Emirates FA Cup Quarter / Getty Images

With one piece of silverware safely stowed away, City will be looking to complete a league and cup treble this term, and they have looked ominous in the FA Cup. A 4-0 win over Liverpool in the quarter-final suggested that.

Southampton, meanwhile, killed off Arsenal’s quadruple hopes with a sublime display, and they will be looking to knock out another Premier League giant. What will happen? Our Manchester City vs Southampton preview divulges football betting strategies and stars.

Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability: Manchester City Favourites

The matchwinner odds are a great starting point for compiling picks at trusted betting platforms. Here are the prices available for Manchester City and Southampton.

  1. Home: 2/9 (1.25) – 80%

  2. Draw: 5/1 (6.00) – 16.7%

  3. Away: 12/1 (13.00) – 7.7%

    *Odds courtesy of Best Odds, subject to change.

Head-to-Head Record

We advise assessing the head-to-head records of teams while considering picks. Here’s how past Manchester City and Southampton matches have panned out in the FA Cup.

Previous Meetings (FA Cup)

  • 20/03/22: Southampton 1-4 Manchester City
  • 28/01/07: Manchester City 3-1 Southampton
  • 09/01/60: Manchester City 1-5 Southampton
  • 05/02/1910: Southampton 0-5 Manchester City

Manchester City Current Form – LWWWW

City are still going strong on two fronts, and Guardiola has set his sights on bagging more trophies.

The 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie has sharpened City’s minds, and since then, they have won their past four matches in all competitions.

More pertinently, the 4-0 win over Liverpool oozed class, and they made the Reds look mediocre. They were dominant in all departments, and an Erling Haaland hat-trick ensured City reached a record-extending eighth straight FA Cup semi-final.

City must be aware of the Southampton press, but if Guardiola’s men can monopolise possession and move the ball quickly, the Saints could be chasing shadows for large parts of the game.

Key Players to Watch

  • Erling Haaland
    Who else?! Haaland is a goal machine, and the way he tore Liverpool to shreds with his sublime treble suggests he won’t give Southampton a moment’s peace.
  • Bernardo Silva
    Although he often shirks the limelight, Bernardo Silva is happy to do the dirty work, and his deliveries are usually on the money. He could be key to City’s chances of victory.
  • Nico O’Reilly
    One of the first names on the team sheet, Nico O’Reilly is technically proficient, can squeeze himself out of tight situations, and he can pop up with vital goals. Southampton have been warned!

Manchester City Team News

Rodri is a major doubt for the game after picking up a groin injury in the win over Arsenal, while Ruben Dias remains sidelined.

Southampton Current Form – WWWWW

Southampton have gone from strength to strength, and that is underlined by the fact they have won their past eight matches in all comps on the trot.

Apart from chasing automatic promotion, they are going very well in the FA Cup. Indeed, the Saints ought to have got more credit for their remarkable win over Arsenal in the quarter-final.

Yes, Saints created the better of the chances, and they forced Arsenal into errors with their high intensity. Despite completing fewer passes, Saints were more clinical when it mattered, and they don’t have anything to lose against City.

If they can feed off the travelling support and take the game to City, then they will fancy their chance of another upset.

Key Players to Watch

  • Ross Stewart
    A player in form, Ross Stewart scored against Arsenal, and he’s netted twice in his past four competitive outings. He could cause City problems.
  • Finn Azaz
    Great at breaking lines and playing through balls, Finn Azaz has magic up his sleeve, and he could unlock the City defence.
  • Leo Scienza
    A key contributor on the scoring and assists front, Leo Scienza is highly creative and technical, and he is a joy to watch in full flow.

Southampton Team News

Although Saints had six players ruled out for the win over Swansea in the Championship last weekend, Tonda Eckert will hope to welcome back some faces to take on City.

Predicted Line-Ups

  1. Manchester City (4-2-3-1)

    Trafford; Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, O’Reilly, Gonzalez, Silva, Semenyo, Cherki, Doku; Haaland

  2. Southampton (4-2-3-1)

    Peretz; Bree, Harwood-Bellis, Wood, Manning, Bragg, Jander, Fellows, Azaz, Scienza; Stewart

Suggested Bets

  1. Manchester City to Win Inside 90 minutes: City have a formidable record against Southampton in the FA Cup, often winning at a canter, so for them to get the job done inside 90 minutes appeals. (2/11 with Bet Vickers)

  2. Team to Score 1st Goal – Manchester City: Usually good frontrunners, City will want to make a statement of intent, and for them to break the deadlock makes sense. (1/4 with PricedUp)

  3. Total Goals Over 2.5: The previous FA Cup encounter witnessed five goals scored, so Over 2.5 doesn’t seem like an unreasonable expectation. (2/5 with Betnero)

Value Bets

If you’re on the hunt for value, then you might be tempted to lock in these lines at regulated operators, which could give you a bigger return on your wager if they pull through.

  1. Manchester City to Win to Nil (Yes): City were rampant against Liverpool, and they didn’t concede, so there is no reason to suggest they could beat Southampton without their defence being breached either. (23/20 with Dragon Bet)

  2. First Scoring Type – Header: City and Southampton have prowess in the air, and the first goal to be scored via a header is worth checking out. (4/1 with 247 Bet)

  3. Anytime Assist – Rayan Cherki: This season, Cherki has proven to be a real maverick, and he can produce some stupendous things on the pitch, such as a rabona assist. An anytime assist from his boot has some value. (27/20 with Lucky Mate)

Prediction: Manchester City to Win

With a domestic league and cup treble up for grabs, Manchester City won’t want to pass up this opportunity. Southampton produced an excellent performance against Arsenal, but with the mood that City are in, this could be a tough test for Saints.

Given City’s wealth of firepower, along with their strong FA Cup credentials, we think they will have too much for Southampton. City can hurt Southampton in many ways, and while the Championship outfit will fashion out some chances, we are leaning towards a City win here. 

Charles Perrin
Charles PerrinSports Betting Writer

Charles Perrin is a seasoned sports and betting journalist with a career built around delivering insightful, engaging, and SEO-savvy content for a global digital audience. With a focus on football, NBA, NHL, golf, and a wide range of other sports, Charles has spent over a decade creating content that blends analysis, tips, and features in a way that keeps readers coming back.

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