Arsenal’s FA Cup run ended with a 2-1 quarter-final defeat at Southampton, where Ross Stewart and Shea Charles struck either side of Viktor Gyokeres’ equaliser to send the Saints through.
Arsenal were knocked out of the FA Cup after a 2-1 Quarter-Final defeat to Southampton at St Mary’s, where a late goal from Shea Charles punished Mikel Arteta’s side after they had fought back to level the tie in the second half. Ross Stewart gave Southampton the lead in the 35th minute, Viktor Gyokeres equalised in the 68th, but Charles restored the home side’s advantage four minutes from time.
The result is a significant setback for Arsenal in a competition Arteta had treated seriously, even with injuries already affecting his squad before kick-off. Arsenal went into the tie with a number of fitness concerns, including doubts over Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, Martin Zubimendi, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice, while Arteta had spoken about the need to pick the strongest side possible in pursuit of a semi-final place.
Southampton, a Championship side, had already shown in the previous round that they were capable of making life difficult for higher-level opposition. Russell Martin’s team reached the last eight with a 1-0 win over Fulham in the fifth round, becoming the first non-Premier League club to book a quarter-final place this season. They played with that same belief here.
Arsenal had plenty of the ball for long spells, but Southampton carried threat and landed the first blow when Stewart capitalised on a defensive mistake by Ben White to put the hosts ahead. The visitors improved after the break, with substitutions helping to lift the tempo, and eventually found a way back into the tie when Kai Havertz set up Gyokeres for a close-range finish in the 68th minute. At that stage, momentum appeared to be shifting Arsenal’s way.
Instead, the game turned again late on. With extra time beginning to come into view, Charles struck in the 86th minute to restore Southampton’s lead and leave Arsenal chasing the match again. The winning goal completed a sharp reminder of the fine margins in cup football, especially on an away ground where Arsenal never fully controlled the contest despite their superiority in possession.
For Arsenal, the frustration will be twofold. There is the immediate disappointment of an FA Cup exit, but also the sense that this was a real chance missed against lower-league opposition. In the space of two matches, the Gunners have gone from chasing the Quadruple, to being left in just two competitions, with a lot of work still to go.
For Southampton, the night extends an impressive run in the competition and sends them into the semi-finals with another upset behind them. Arsenal now have no time to dwell on it, with attention quickly turning back to the Champions League as they travel to Lisbon to face Sporting on Tuesday night.