Our best bets for Saturday's FA Cup semi-final between Manchester City and Southampton include an assist for an in-form playmaker and another goal for a defender who has a canny knack of finding the net.
Pep Guardiola’s City already have the EFL Cup safely tucked away and are now top of the Premier League after beating Burnley 1-0 in midweek.
The Citizens are 1/2 favourites to win the FA Cup for an eighth time and just 1/14 to progress past Championship club Southampton, who stunned Arsenal in the quarters and are in a rich vein of form.
We have selected a football betting Bet Builder on the match that pays out at 10/1 if successful.
Manchester City v Southampton Bet Builder
Over 1.5 first-half goals @ 1/1
Rayan Cherki 1+ assist @ 23/20
Nico O’Reilly anytime goalscorer @ 3/1
Pays out at 10/1
Wembley tie could catch fire early
Erling Haaland set City on course to scale the Premier League heights after only five minutes against Burnley on Wednesday and another fast start could be on the cards against the Saints.
Both the Citizens and the Clarets both squandered big chances in the first half at Turf Moor following Haaland’s opener, while it took only 18 minutes for both City and Arsenal to get on the scoresheet in last Sunday’s crunch title showdown at the Etihad.
Guardiola will be keen for his side to stamp their class early with the title run-in in mind, so a bet on there being two in the first 45 at Wembley could be a decent starting point for our same-game treble.
It was 2-0 to City at the break as they swept aside Liverpool in the last four and it isn’t difficult to envisage something similar against the Saints.
Leg 1: Over 1.5 first-half goals @ 1/1
Cherki can deliver the goods
Rayan Cherki’s dancing feet were too much for Arsenal’s defence to contend with and Southampton could also have trouble containing the City schemer.
Cherki has taken over Kevin De Bruyne’s mantle as the Citizens’ playmaker-in-chief, providing 10 assists in the Premier League. Only Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes (18) has more to his name.
Leg 2: Rayan Cherki 1+ assist @ 23/20
O’Reilly can pop up in the Nic of time
England international Nico O’Reilly has established himself in City’s starting XI this season, with Guardiola saying last week that the 21-year-old should be in line to be crowned young player of the year.
O’Reilly played in central midfield at Burnley in midweek, but should revert to left-back, a position he has excelled in, for Saturday’s trip to Wembley.
Playing on the left side of defence hasn’t diminished his attacking output, though, as he has scored nine goals in all competitions this season.
He has found the net on his last two visits to London, once in a 3-0 league win over Chelsea and a double in City’s 2-0 EFL Cup triumph at Wembley against the Gunners.
With City expected to dominate the ball and territory, O’Reilly will likely play high up the pitch, making the 3/1 that he gets himself on the scoresheet at the national stadium again a decent proposition.
Leg 3: Nico O’Reilly anytime goalscorer @ 3/1
