City goalkeeper Hart admitted in the build-up that anything but victory at St. Mary’s would all but end any their hopes of retaining the title, with leaders Manchester United already boasting a nine-point cushion.

Roberto Mancini’s side simply did not look like a side in need of a victory Saturday, conceding after just seven minutes when Jason Puncheon slotted home.

Hart could have possibly done better with the shot that led to the opener, but there was no doubting his culpability for Southampton’s second.

Excellent team interplay put through Rickie Lambert, whose fierce drive squirmed through the England international’s grasp, allowing Steven Davis to bundle home.

Edin Dzeko reduced the deficit as halftime approached, though a two-goal lead could have been restored on the stroke of halftime had referee Martin Atkinson not waved away Jay Rodriguez’s penalty appeals.

That was soon forgotten, though, as Barry passed into his own goal unchallenged to put Saints on course for a first win since Pochettino replaced Nigel Adkins at the helm.

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Last-place Queens Park Rangers was the most active, signing defender Christopher Samba from Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala for a reported club-record fee of 12 million pounds ($19 million) while Peter Crouch is on the list of strikers manager Harry Redknapp is actively chasing.

Meanwhile, Stoke remained hopeful Thursday of its proposed signing of United States winger Brek Shea from FC Dallas in the MLS as well as goalkeeper Jack Butland from Birmingham.

The Staffordshire club announced earlier this week that they had reached agreement with Dallas over the transfer of the 22-year-old Shea, who has passed a medical and took part in Stoke’s training session Thursday. Approval is pending an FA appeals hearing.

Norwich bought Argentine striker Luciano Becchio from Leeds, third-bottom Wigan brought in Austria defender Paul Scharner on loan from Hamburg and Fulham took Netherlands midfielder Urby Emanuelson from AC Milan on loan.

Aside from champion Manchester City, which sealed the transfer of Italy striker Mario Balotelli to Milan, England’s top teams were quiet on a slow day compared to previous January windows.

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Cole’s previous deal was set to expire at the end of the season and at one stage he was expected to leave the Champions League holders.

However the 32-year-old, who had been linked with Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, has agreed fresh terms at the club he joined from Arsenal in 2006.

Cole said on the club’s official website: “I am pleased I will be starting my eighth season at Chelsea.

“I wanted to stay at Chelsea because we are always fighting and challenging for trophies. That desire and the will to want to win things have not gone.”

Cole, who has played 293 games for Chelsea, added: “I have great memories here and I enjoy coming to training every day. The staff are amazing and I enjoy training with the lads.

“I have been able to fulfil nearly all my ambitions at Chelsea. I have won the Champions League, the League, I have won FA Cups here but of course you don’t want to stop winning trophies and being at a big club, you are always fighting to win a trophy.

“Being here for seven years and being at Arsenal before that playing for trophies, you never lose that hunger. I wanted to stay at Chelsea because we are always fighting and challenging for trophies. That desire and the will to want To win things have not gone.”

With Chelsea, Cole has won one Premier League title, four FA Cups, one League Cup and was also part of the team that defeated Bayern Munich in last year’s Champions League final.

Cole said there was a slight sense of trepidation at what might have occurred had he left Chelsea.

Discussing his stay at the club, he said on Chelsea TV: “It’s gone quick. After six or seven years and the trophies I’ve won here and the great memories I’ve got here it was a little bit scary and sad thinking I could have left. But I’m glad to have signed and stay here for another year.”

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Villa was unable to claw back the 3-1 deficit from the first leg of the Capital One Cup encounter even though leading scorer Christian Benteke put it in front before halftime.

James Hanson’s headed effort early in the second period effectively killed off the tie and Villa substitute Andreas Weimann’s last-gasp goal secured a 2-1 win on the night but it was too little, too late.

The final whistle was the cue for wild scenes of delight from Bradford manager Phil Parkinson and his players who had overcome Arsenal in the previous round. His side will now take on either Swansea or Chelsea at Wembley at the end of February; Swansea leads Chelsea 2-0 heading into Wednesday’s second leg.

“It’s dreamland,” Bradford manager Phil Parkinson said. “We said tonight we had a chance to make history, and we have done it.”

The cash generated by the cup run can help to safeguard the northern English team’s future. It has twice entered administration — a form of bankruptcy protection — since being relegated from the Premier League in 2001.

“To go to Wembley is going to keep the club going for quite a while, I imagine,” Parkinson said. “For the city of Bradford, it’s massive and I really feel that this can galvanize the area.”

After plummeting down the soccer pyramid, Bradford is now the lowest-ranked former Premier League team, 10th in England’s lowest professional division.

“Our supporters have stuck with the club through some really tough times,” Parkinson said. “Over the last 10 years there hasn’t been a great deal to cheer about.”

The only other club from the bottom division to reach the final was Rochdale in 1962, when the competition was in its infancy and many of the leading sides did not participate. For Villa, it was a massive blow to take in a season where they have become embroiled in a relegation battle.

The first half-chance fell to Benteke who climbed above the Bradford defense to meet a cross from Charles N’Zogbia but he directed his header wide. Another menacing center from N’Zogbia was headed back across goal by Benteke towards Matt Lowton although he could not keep his header down.

After 24 minutes, Villa Park erupted as Benteke gave the home side the lead. Left-back Joe Bennett curled the ball in from the flank and Benteke was first to react as he prodded the ball past Bradford keeper Matt Duke.

The game followed a similar pattern at the start of the second period with Benteke failing to make full contact on a header from Lowton’s center.

But after 55 minutes, Villa’s Achilles’ heel at set-pieces again proved its undoing as Hanson restored Bradford’s two-goal aggregate lead, the striker getting in front of Ron Vlaar to head home Gary Jones’ corner and send the 6,500 Bradford fans wild.

Villa boss Paul Lambert brought on a fourth striker in Weimann with 20 minutes left and he put Villa ahead on the night after Benteke’s flick-on, but Bradford survived the final few minutes to book their place in next month’s Wembley final.

“As a kid playing football, you dream of Wembley and we’re going to do it,” said Bradford goalkeeper Matt Duke, who beat testicular cancer in 2008. “We’re going to take a League Two club to Wembley, we’re going to take a massive following, it’s going to be an amazing day and I’m looking forward to it.”

Villa, owned by American billionaire Randy Lerner, is one point and one place above the Premier League’s relegation zone.

“It’s my responsibility … I am absolutely gutted, disappointed, hurt, everything,” Villa manager Paul Lambert said.

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