Arsenal were eliminated in the FA Cup quarter-finals as Southampton produced some magic to beat the Premier League leaders 2-1.
In their first game since losing in the Carabao Cup final, Mikel Arteta’s side put in another meek performance as Saints grabbed a chance with goals from Ross Stewart and substitute Shay Charles.
Arsenal equalized in the 68th minute through Victor Gokeres, but Saints started strong and Charles counter-punch the Gunners with a deft finish with five minutes remaining.
Southampton look forward to the Wembley semi-final, where they face Man City, Chelsea, West Ham and Leeds on Sunday.
The team, who are aiming to qualify for the Championship play-offs, are now dreaming of replicating Southampton’s 1976 FA Cup-winning side.
Southampton beat Arsenal in the FA Cup
Arteta’s injured Gunners arrived at St Mary’s as overwhelming favorites to win the title, two weeks after losing their final game to City.
Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka were absent from the squad after withdrawing from the England game, but William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães, Martin Zvimendi and Noni Madueke were all included, with Gabriel starting alongside teenage sensation Max Dauman, who had injury concerns before the match.
Saints faltered from the start and the majestic Leo Cienza caused havoc at the break as he was unable to find the final finish.
The returning Martin Odegaard was denied by Daniel Peretz from 20 yards out, but his shot went wide. Dauman and Kai Havertz will be the next to get their chances as the Gunners start to click into gear. However, the opening goal did not go as planned.
Ben White misjudged a long ball and Stewart was brought down to life home.
The 35th minute goal caused chaos around St Mary’s and left Arsenal stunned. Arsenal made a valuable comeback before the end of the first half.
Southampton went close again after the interval, with Cienza firing from the right inside the box and firing a great shot that hit the crossbar.
Arteta had made three changes just before that, one of which scored the equalizer in the 68th minute. Gabriel slipped past Havertz, who took a touch and retreated, allowing Gökeres to equalize with a sharp finish.
Arsenal were then forced to make a substitution as Gabriel limped off and was replaced by Saliba.
With Arsenal in control of the match, Saints managed to force the ball forward to Charles in the 85th minute, and the substitute scored the famous winning goal.
The Gunners currently lead Manchester City by nine points in the Premier League. It’s in their hands.
But with so many players out of form and injuries on the rise again, will Arsenal be left vulnerable to City’s attack? Their next Champions League match will be against Sporting Lisbon in midweek.
Arteta: “I love my players, I don’t criticize them”
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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said: “If anyone has to take responsibility for their side’s defeat to Southampton in the FA Cup, it’s me.”
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said this in the post-match press conference.
“I love the players. I love what they’ve done for nine months. I’m not going to criticize them just because we lost here. I know they’re putting their bodies on the line, some of them didn’t need to be here today. I love them more than ever. Defend. If anyone has to take the blame, it’s me. Usually we have two or three moments like this during the season, but this is the first time we have a difficult level. Let’s stand up and take care of ourselves.”
How will Arsenal react to being eliminated from the Double Cup?
Arsenal’s four ambitions quickly became two.
It happened just as Man City were enjoying their best form of the season. So the big question now is how will Arsenal react to these setbacks in the Premier League and Champions League?
The next six games are:
Tuesday 7th April: Sporting (A) – Champions League Saturday 11th April: Bournemouth (H) – Premier League Wednesday 15th April – Sporting (H) – Champions League Sunday 19th April – Man City (A) – Premier League Saturday 25th April: Newcastle (H) – Premier League Saturday 2nd May: Fulham (H) – Premier League
Saints coach ‘proud’ of his players
Southampton manager Tonda Eckert told BBC Sport:
“I’m very proud of the players. We had to survive the moment. There’s always a chance that a change in the second half could change the game, but I think we responded well.”
“You always have to find a balance. It’s not about going direct for the sake of being direct. They’re preparing for a long ball at some point, so we had to find a shorter solution.
“It’s nice to celebrate a little bit but Championship football starts tomorrow against Wrexham and then we’re ready to go.”
