Man City books another FA Cup final and Arsenal goes top of the Premier League

Manchester City is back in another FA Cup final. Arsenal is back on top of the Premier League.

City will play in a fourth straight Cup final after surviving a scare to beat second division Southampton 2-1 at Wembley on Saturday. Nico Gonzalez’s 87th-minute winner completed a comeback after going a goal down in the second half.

Victory kept up City’s bid for a domestic treble of trophies, having won the English League Cup and being locked in race with Arsenal for the Premier League title.

Arsenal took advantage of City’s semifinal 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.

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 to hand Roberto De Zerbi his first victory as coach. But it remained in the drop zone, two points behind West Ham, which clinched a 2-1 win against Everton through Callum Wilson’s stoppage time goal at London Stadium.

Liverpool moved up to fourth on goal difference by beating Crystal Palace 3-1. The defending champion leapfrogged Aston Villa which lost to Fulham 1-0.

Arsenal was playing Newcastle later Saturday with the chance to move back to the top ahead of Manchester City.

City was playing in the semifinals of the FA Cup against second division Southampton at Wembley Stadium.

Relegation rollercoaster

For a short while everything seemed to be going Tottenham’s way.

First, midfielder Joao Paulinha managed to stay onside to slide Spurs into an 82nd-minute lead at Molineux and survive a VAR check.

Moments later, Everton’s Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall leveled the score at West Ham — cancelling out Tomas Soucek’s opener and temporarily helping Spurs climb out of the relegation zone.

But Wilson’s winner for West Ham in the 92nd — after coming on as a late substitute — saw the fight for survival take another twist.

Spurs’ win was it’s first in the league since Dec. 28. and further evidence of a lift in form under De Zerbi, who was appointed last month.

The Italian has been in charge for three games and picked up four points.

Liverpool on the rise

Liverpool’s title defense unravelled long ago but Arne Slot’s team looks well placed to qualify for the Champions League and maybe seal a top three finish.

Alexander Isak scored his first goal since a broken ankle and fibula in December as Liverpool moved up to fourth and level on points with third-placed Manchester United, having played a game more.

United hosts Liverpool next week in a match that will have added intensity given their league placing.

Villa started the day with the chance to move up to third but ended it in fifth, going down to Ryan Sessegnon’s first half goal at Fulham. Villa was also level on points with United and Liverpool.

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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer