Pep Guardiola has made four changes to his starting lineup for this afternoon’s FA Cup quarter-final at Southampton.

Ederson, Riyad Mahrez Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden all started Monday’s 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace but drop to the bench for this one, with Zack Steffen, Ilkay Gundogan, Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling coming into the side.

Ruben Dias remains sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Teams

Southampton

Starting XI: Forster, Livramento, Stephens, Salisu, Walker-Peters, Romeu, Ward-Prowse (C), Armstrong, Elyounoussi, Long, Armstrong

Subs: Caballero, Valery, Perraud, Diallo, Smallbone, Redmond, Djenepo, Adams, Broja

City

Starting XI: Steffen, Walker, Stones, Laporte, Cancelo, Rodrigo, Gundogan (C), De Bruyne, Grealish, Jesus, Sterling

Subs: Carson, Ake, Zinchenko, Bernardo, Fernandinho, Mahrez, Foden

Next Fixture

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FA Cup

Southampton

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Man City

City tactics 

It’s the usual 4-3-3 for City today. 

Zack Steffen once again starts a domestic cup fixture. He’s a superb deputy to Ederson and brings similar ball-playing qualities to the those offered by the Brazilian. He will be key in starting City’s buildup play. 

Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo will operate as full-backs, but charged, as ever, with getting forward to add numbers to our attacks. John Stones and Aymeric Laporte continue together at the heart of the defence. 

Our midfield three has a wonderful mix of attributes. Rodrigo will sit just in front of the back four to add a layer of disciplined protection. Ilkay Gundogan brings guile and a keen eye for a pass. And Kevin De Bruyne is one of the most gifted midfielders in the game. 

Raheem Sterling, Jack Grealish and Gabriel Jesus will form a dynamic front three that should pose Southampton plenty of problems. 

It’s a strong lineup that reflects Guardiola’s desire to treat every competition with respect.

And we know we will need to be on top form to progress to the last four. Southampton have caused City problems in our Premier League games this season. They are a well-organised side with a manager who demands energy and industry as standard. 

Match stats 

This is the second time in the past three seasons that Southampton and City have met three times during a campaign - when it happened in 2019-20, Saints won the only one of those games to be held at St Mary’s, prevailing 1-0.

Both Premier League meetings between the teams this season have ended level, 0-0 at Etihad Stadium and 1-1 at St Mary’s - the last side to face City at least three times in the same campaign without losing were Liverpool in 2015-16.

Since Pep Guardiola joined Manchester City in 2016, Southampton have won just one of 13 matches between the sides (D3 L9), the aforementioned 1-0 win in July 2020 on home soil.

City last met Southampton in the FA Cup in January 2007 in round four as goals from Darius Vassell, Joey Barton and DaMarcus Beasley turned a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 win after Kenwyne Jones’ opener for Saints.

Southampton

Southampton have only lost three of their past 18 FA Cup matches, two of which have come at the semi-final stage at Wembley (W12 D3).

Saints are unbeaten in their last eight home games in the competition (W6 D2), since a 5-0 loss to Arsenal in the fourth round in 2016-17.

Armando Broja has been involved in four goals in five domestic cup appearances for Southampton this season, including two off the bench in the FA Cup, setting up a goal against Coventry and scoring against West Ham.

Manchester City

This will be Manchester City’s fifth FA Cup quarter-final in six seasons under Pep Guardiola, only missing out on reaching the last eight in 2017-18.

Each of City’s four previous quarter-final ties under Guardiola have come away from home - and they have won all four.

No team has scored more FA Cup goals than Manchester City this season (10, level with Chelsea and Barrow).

City have only failed to score in two of their past 19 FA Cup games - with both of those matches being semi-final defeats, to Chelsea and Arsenal, in the past two seasons.