Southampton, who upset Arsenal 2-1 in the quarterfinals, looked poised to continue their dream run when Finn Azaz struck a gorgeous shot from distance in the 79th minute that James Trafford had little chance of stopping.
But in a thrilling second half of the semifinal, Jeremy Doku wiped out Southampton’s lead four minutes later when he worked the ball on to his right foot before unleashing a shot from the edge of the penalty area that deflected off James Bree and into the net.
Gonzalez struck a rocket from 30 yards out, the longest goal scored by any City player this season, in the 87th minute and City, who won the League Cup earlier this season and are neck and neck with Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table, held on for victory in a breathless final few minutes.
City, who have hoisted the FA Cup trophy seven times, will meet the winners of this morning’s semifinal between Chelsea and Leeds United in the May 17 final at Wembley.
Southampton, who are 23 places below City in England’s football pyramid, in fifth in the second-tier Championship, were the better team in the first half against what was virtually a second-string City lineup, and had a goal from Leo Scienza chalked off for offside.
But Pep Guardiola’s side were significantly better after the break, and a couple of key changes, including sending on substitutes Erling Haaland and Doku, made a huge difference as City finished with 24 shots to Southampton’s four, and six shots on target for the victors to three for the Saints.
The victory was City’s 22nd in a row against FA Cup opponents from lower-division teams, but Southampton made the Premier League titans dig deep for it.
"It’s the FA Cup, semifinal is always like that," Guardiola said. "We make an incredible, incredible, incredible second half, really really good.
"It’s always nice to be here fighting against top teams. No team has made four finals in a row. It’s extraordinary and hopefully we can arrive with a good momentum."
• Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League table with a 1-0 win over Newcastle United at the Emirates Stadium yesterday.
The win gave them a three-point over Manchester City, who have a game in hand and drew level at the top of the table earlier this week.
Tottenham Hotspur claimed a 1-0 win over Wolves, keeping a two-point advantage over West Ham, who won 2-1 over Everton, in the relegation battle.
Liverpool beat Crystal Palace 3-1, Fulham edged Aston Villa 1-0, while Chris Wood scored as Nottingham Forest beat Sunderland 5-0 on Saturday. — Reuters/Allied Media
