On the eve of the FA Cup final, Manchester City received some positive news. Erling Haaland, who had been sidelined with a long - term injury, announced his return, and Kevin De Bruyne, the midfield linchpin, was back on the training ground. This not only lifted the team's morale but also gave Pep Guardiola more tactical options in the season's crucial stage. However, the return of these key players also posed challenges to the 4222 tactical system that had secured five consecutive victories.

To ensure tactical flexibility in important matches, Guardiola experimented with tactics in the game against Southampton. The team maintained the double - centre - back and double - pivot structure, but there were significant changes in key positions: Haaland replaced Julian Alvarez as the lone striker, Phil Foden took up the left - wing position, Joao Cancelo returned to the left - back role, and Rico Lewis replaced Bernardo Silva on the right. While this lineup seemed to follow the framework of the winning streak, actual gameplay revealed notable issues.

In the first half, City dominated possession with 67%, yet their attacking threat diminished. Haaland's tendency to stay central on the pitch severely compressed the attacking space. The Norwegian striker's relatively slow rhythm, often taking two touches to complete a pass when linking up in the half - spaces, was in sharp contrast to Alvarez's more dynamic one - touch play. The left - footed combination of Cancelo and Foden led to an uncoordinated partnership on the left wing, and Rico Lewis's inward - drifting movement on the right weakened the team's width and penetration.

Despite De Bruyne's accurate cross in the 18th minute and Mateo Kovacic's penetration in the 34th minute, City's crosses struggled against Southampton's compact defence. The characteristic high - arcing passes of Guardiola's system were frequently anticipated, leaving Haaland isolated in the penalty area. The drawbacks of the tactical experiment were clear from the halftime statistics: only two shots on target and a 40% reduction in key passes compared to the five - game winning streak period.