Southampton strike late to shock Arsenal and book FA cup semi-final
TRUE SAINT: Southampton hero Shea Charles celebrates at the final whistle. Pic: Steven Paston/PA
A fittingly thrilling classic late night FA Cup quarter-final was settled by Southampton substitute Shea Charles as bookies’ favourites Arsenal suffered a shock defeat.
Fresh from their League Cup Final humbling by Manchester City last time out, Mikel Arteta’s men were unable to cope with a Championship side that played with an intense sense of belief and destiny.
Southampton go to Wembley for a semi-final in the 50th anniversary of their last win in this competition while the Cup’s most successful ever side go to Lisbon on Tuesday for a Champions League tie hoping they can recover some sort of form to restore confidence before they resume their Premier League title challenge at home to Bournemouth next weekend.
Make no mistake, Southampton - outplayed for long spells - thoroughly deserved this. Worrying times for Arteta, his players and Arsenal supporters even though they still top the league in their pursuit of their biggest quest this season.
Northern Ireland midfielder Charles, once of Manchester City, is the latest Cup hero for this famous club. His late winner came after Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres had equalised on 68 minutes following Ross Stewart’s first half opener for the Saints.
Buoyed by both a 14-match unbeaten run and a pre-match entertainment show celebrating the 50th anniversary of their unlikely 1976 FA Cup Final win over Manchester United, Southampton were phenomenal.
Playing in a commemorative ’76 yellow kit and underdogs once again, five decades on, the Championship play-off hopefuls caused moments of discomfort for the Arsenal defence with Tom Fellows and the nippy Brazilian winger Leo Scienza the most threatening when they broke forward.
Fit again captain Martin Odegaard should have marked his first appearance since January with a goal. The amazing teenager Max Dowman was their most effective player in attack.
And how Arsenal were made to pay for their profligacy in front of goal when Stewart fired the home side into a 36th minute lead. A sloppy backheel by Odegaard gave Scienza the opportunity to break from the edge of his own penalty area unchallenged into the arsenal half where he fed Bree, who clipped a cross towards the far post.
Ben White misjudged the flight of the ball and it flew over his head to Stewart, who controlled and drilled in a sweet right foot shot. The stadium was literally shaking as the home fans celebrated.
This whole-hearted approach of determined defending and making the most of their rare chances was how Southampton took care of Premier League Fulham to get to the last eight, so Arsenal cannot say they had not been warned.
The swirling wind of Storm Dave did not help, but it was the same for both sides.
Arsenal created their own maelstrom of mayhem when a moment of madness from Mosquera gifted Fellows a clear run and shot on goal. Scienza clipped a shot against the bar and Arsenal were reeling. There was just time behind those two chances for Arteta to make a triple substitution, sending on Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke and Riccardo Calafiori.
They had half an hour to save Arsenal FA Cup hopes but it looked like the damage had been done as Southampton fans and players displayed the attitude of winners on and off the pitch.
They were enjoying it too much to even deviate from their party mood when Gyokeres responded in style to Arteta’s plea by equalising with 68 minutes on the clock.
Havertz sprung an offside trap and pulled the ball back from the by line to Gyokeres, who opened his body to side foot in from six yards.
Not tricky but still clinical from the player who scored four goals in two matches to send Sweden to the World Cup finals in the international break.
An injury scare to Gabriel, who failed to appear for Brazil due to a knee problem, hobbled off soon after with what looked like a knee problem.
A brilliant full length save by Daniel Peretz denied Dowman a spectacular 83rd minute winner as Arsenal continued to press ahead to win as well as avoid extra time and penalties. As it was, Saints sub Charles put them out of their misery with his 86th minute winner, poking the ball off the post to Kepa's right and in.
Peretz 7, Bree 7, Harwood-Bellis 7, Wood 6, Manning 5, Bragg 6 (Charles 76), Jander 6, Fellows 7, Azaz 6, Scienza 8 (Edozie 71), Stewart 7 (Larin 70).
Long, Quashie, Romeu, Robinson, Archer, Oyekunle.
Kepa 6, White 4, Mosquera 5, Gabriel 7 (Saliba 72), Lewis-Skelly 5 (Calafiori 60), Norgaard 5, Odegaard 5 (Madueke 60), Havertz 6 (Zubimendi 79), Dowman 7, Martinelli 6, Jesus 6 (Gyokeres 60).
Raya, Harriman-Annous, O'Neil, Salmon.
Sam Barrott 6
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