Here are your Manchester City headlines for Sunday, March 20.
Kevin De Bruyne half-time revelation
Kevin De Bruyne has admitted that Manchester City's players knew they didn't play well for a large portion of Sunday's FA Cup victory over Southampton. Though City eventually ran out 4-1 winners on the south coast, the scoreline doesn't tell the whole story of the match.
Pep Guardiola's side had struggled against the Saints in their two previous matches this season and the same happened again. Adam Armstrong hit the post early on just before Raheem Sterling gave the Blues the lead, but Southampton were undeterred and continued to press their opponents into sloppy mistakes.
READ MORE: Man City player ratings vs Southampton as De Bruyne and Gundogan inspire cup triumph
Just before half-time, City lost the ball and it eventually led to Aymeric Laporte deflecting the ball into his own goal. The two sides went in at the break level before the Blues pulled away with the tie thanks to goals from De Bruyne, Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez.
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City rediscover treble form
City roared back into lethal form at just the right time to keep their treble bid alive. The Blues swept aside Southampton in the second half after a competitive opening 45 minutes to book yet another Wembley date.
De Bruyne’s penalty, Foden's stunner and Mahrez’s 22nd of the season blew away the Saints after a Laporte own goal had seen Southampton level Raheem Sterling’s opener. And, while winning the game was important, perhaps the fact that City rediscovered their touch in the final third - which was ordinary, bordering on ragged in goalless draws with Sporting Lisbon and Crystal Palace - was the biggest take from this game.
Now the City stars head off on international duty in good shape and poised for a trip to Burnley and then the week in which the destiny of the season could well be determined, as the title showdown with Liverpool is sandwiched by two Champions League quarter-final legs against Atletico Madrid. They needed to cut loose and find their fluency again, and they did it - noticeably once Foden and Mahrez had gone on as substitutes.
Read Chief Manchester City writer Stuart Brennan's verdict.
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