City will play in a fourth-straight Cup final after surviving a scare to beat second division Southampton 2-1 at Wembley on Saturday, with Nico Gonzalez's thunderous 87th-minute winner completing their comeback after they'd gone a goal down in the second half.
A slow-burner of a semi-final came alive as Finn Azaz put Saints on course for a shock Wembley win when he curled home a sublime goal with 11 minutes remaining.
Yet that served only to spark City into action and substitute Jeremy Doku quickly equalised with a deflected strike, before Gonzalez's brilliant strike.
City won the Carabao Cup on their previous visit to the national stadium last month and they will return in May to play Leeds or Chelsea, who meet in Sunday's other semi, for another trophy.
"No team has made four finals in a row. It's extraordinary and hopefully we can arrive with a good momentum," City manager Pep Guardiola told the BBC.
Arsenal took advantage of City's semi-final commitments to move three points clear at the top of the standings with a 1-0 win against Newcastle through Eberechi Eze's brilliant first-half strike.
But this was far from a vintage display by Mikel Arteta's side, and they were hanging on at the end – the relief at the full-time whistle was palpable.
"We knew after last week what we have to do, we have to win every game. We can't focus on other people, we can only focus on ourselves," Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice said.
Meanwhile, at the bottom of the table, a first league win in 2026 wasn't enough to lift Tottenham out of the relegation zone.
Spurs beat relegated Wolves 1-0 with an 82nd minute goal from Joao Paulinha to hand Roberto De Zerbi his first victory as coach.
It was their first win in the league since December 28. and further evidence of a lift in form under De Zerbi, who was appointed last month.
Yet they still remained in the drop zone, two points behind West Ham, who clinched a 2-1 win against Everton through Callum Wilson's stoppage-time winner at London Stadium.
Liverpool have moved up to fourth on goal difference by beating Crystal Palace 3-1, the defending champions leapfrogging Aston Villa, who lost to Fulham 1-0.
Mohamed Salah may have played his last game for Liverpool, though, after he was injured and had to be replaced in the second half against Palace.
The Egyptian great is leaving Anfield at the end of the season and coach Arne Slot said he did not have a timeframe on the forward's apparent hamstring issue.
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