Man City rediscover treble form as Southampton blown away in FA Cup quarter-final

Manchester 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.

Kevin De Bruyne’s penalty, Phil Foden's stunner and Riyad Mahrez’s 22nd of the season blew away the Saints after an Aymeric 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.

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Suddenly that old snap, swiftness and surety of passing was back, and the Saints could not live with it. And with Foden and Mahrez showing the rest how to finish, the Blues piled on the goals.

Setting aside the rout of the hapless Reds, City had not scored four times since the blitz of Sporting Lisbon on February 15, and lately they had started to look like a side that was letting it slip a little. That trend continued in the first half, when Southampton, buoyed by holding the Blues twice in the league, were always in the contest, causing plenty of problems and limited City's threat in front of