The sight of empty seats in the Manchester City end at Wembley for Saturday's FA Cup semi-final against Southampton has inevitably triggered the usual cycle of lazy jibes from rival fans.
But for anyone living in the real world – and certainly outside of the vacuum of social media point-scoring – the lack of a sell-out is not an indictment of loyalty, but a symptom of staggering success and economic reality.
Under Pep Guardiola, a trip to England's showpiece venue has shifted from a once-in-a-generation opportunity to a routine commitment. Since 2011, City have visited the national stadium 33 times, and the weekend's clash against the Saints was Guardiola's 25th Wembley appearance alone, including the Premier League meetings with Tottenham in 2018.
For a fanbase largely based in the North West, the novelty of the M6 has long since worn off.
Factor in the real-life logistics – a return train from Manchester to London Euston can comfortably exceed £100, while match tickets, stadium food, and drinks push the cost of a single day trip toward the £300 mark. Now, imagine what it would take for a family of four – that's over £1,000 for a Saturday trip.
To expect the average fan to bankroll this every few weeks, or certainly multiple times across a season, in the FA Cup, League Cup, Community Shield, and semi-finals of the former is bordering on delusional.
With Manchester City now having reached a historic four consecutive FA Cup finals, supporters have been forced to prioritise.
When facing Southampton – a Championship side City were favourites to beat, irrespective of the Saints' brilliant form in recent months – it is perfectly logical for fans to save their hard-earned cash for what some would deem as an inevitable final appearance next month. And that is now what we have on the cards, once again, as Chelsea await.
Why pay a premium for a semi-final that many would agree should be played at a neutral northern or Midlands ground like Villa Park, when the showpiece final is just around the corner? Wembley is Wembley, the ultimate reward for conquering every round, not for reaching the last-four.
In an era of soaring living costs, City fans chose to back their team where it matters most. As Pep Guardiola himself noted after the 2-1 win, they will be there for the final. And to suggest otherwise is to ignore the physical and financial exhaustion that comes with unparalleled dominance.
Find more from Freddie Pye at City Xtra
