Man City keep domestic treble dream alive and have potential Premier League title race advantage over Arsenal

“Not many journalists here, right? The game looks like it is not important.” It was the first thing Pep Guardiola said when he arrived for his press conference after Manchester City beat Southampton in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.

Becoming the first side to reach the final of football's oldest competition for a fourth consecutive season would usually be the main event but City's Premier League title rivals Arsenal were also in action, securing a nervy 1-0 win over Newcastle to go top.

Perhaps it grated for Guardiola, the only manager to win an English domestic treble, that his team taking a big step towards repeating that feat was being somewhat overlooked. He insists it is "too far away" to talk about, though.

City survived an almighty scare from Southampton, conceding a 79th-minute screamer from Finn Azaz before producing a response worthy of champions with goals from Jeremy Doku and Nico Gonzalez securing their place in the May 16 final against Chelsea or Leeds.

Asked about the domestic treble, Guardiola said: "Before the Aston Villa game [the last game of the Premier League season] I will tell you if there is a chance. Now it's far, far away.

"It's important to have three days off for the players. I told them, 'don't think about football. Rest, then we start a season of five games plus the final of the FA Cup.'"

City, who now sit three points behind Arsenal having played a game fewer, are potentially six games away from adding the Premier League and FA Cup to their Carabao Cup trophy.