Saints 'going there to win' - Azaz on FA Cup semi-final
Saints beat Fulham at Craven Cottage on their way to the FA Cup semi-finals [Getty Images] Finn Azaz says he and his Southampton team-mates are not planning on just enjoying the occasion of Saturday's FA Cup semi-final, but are fully set on beating Manchester City at Wembley. Saints beat Doncaster, Leicester, Fulham and Arsenal on their way to booking a date with Premier League leaders City in the last four of England's oldest cup competition. Heading into the tie, Tonda Eckert's side are on an unbeaten run of 20 games and are in the middle of a promotion push in the Championship.
"We're on an amazing run right now," attacking midfielder Azaz told BBC South Today. "The mentality in this team has been built over the last few months, we beat Arsenal in the last round so we're going there not to just enjoy the occasion, we're going there to try and win. "I know it's a cliche but we can't let the occasion affect our performance, if you start thinking about the 'what ifs' then that's when it has an impact on the performance.
" Although automatic promotion now looks unlikely, Southampton are well positioned to finish inside the Championship's top six and end their league season with a play-off run. Can Southampton 'upset apple cart' in Wembley semi? Watch: Gearing up for Wembley with Saints Social Saints shocked Arsenal at St Mary's earlier in the month, and will be eyeing another upset on Saturday, boosted by the momentum of their unbeaten run.
Azaz has been a key component of Southampton's attacking force their campaign, dictating the offence with his silky dribbling and sharp shooting. He started and played the full 90 minutes in their win over the Gunners, linking the play and leading counter attacks that ultimately undid Mikel Arteta's side, alongside wingers Tom Fellows and Leo Scienza. The 25-year-old arrived at St Mary's from Middlesbrough last summer and has scored 11 goals, registering eight assists.
"The mood in the squad is really positive right now," he added. "We know it's going to be tough and they have an amazing team but we have experience of being the underdogs and beating top sides. "The performances against Fulham and Arsenal were top and they'll give us the most confidence going into this.