The 2025–26 FA Cup semifinals are set for Wembley Stadium under the iconic arch this weekend, with Manchester City and Southampton among the four teams left standing. City kept their push for another trophy alive with a 1–0 win at Burnley on Wednesday night, while Southampton’s unbeaten run in all competitions has carried them into the late stages of the cup.
For Manchester City, the semifinal is another step in a season that is gathering speed again. Pep Guardiola’s side beat Arsenal on Sunday and moved to the top of the table for the first time since August, then followed that up with the narrow win at Burnley. City already claimed the Carabao Cup in March, and a place in the FA Cup final would keep alive the chance of a second domestic treble of the Guardiola era.
The route to Wembley has been different for Southampton, but no less striking. Tonda Eckert’s side have not lost in any competition since Jan. 17, and they reached this stage after getting past Fulham and Arsenal. Their earlier momentum was somewhat stymied by Bristol City in the week, but they still arrive in outstanding form and as the sort of second-tier opposition top-flight teams often dread at this stage.
That is the tension inside these fa cup fixtures. City are chasing silverware and history, but they would need to get beyond lower-division opposition to reach consecutive FA Cup finals. Southampton, meanwhile, are carrying form that has already overturned expectations once and will test whether this run is noise or something more durable under Eckert. The only certainty is that Wembley will have two very different stories to tell before one of them runs out of road.