Southampton defeated Arsenal in style with a late winner from Shea Charles dumping the Gunners out of the FA Cup. But for Fulham fans it was a frustrating experience after losing to the Saints in the fifth round.
Southampton defeated Arsenal 2-1 with a dramatic underdog win at St. Mary’s to dump the Gunners out of their second cup competition in as many weeks.
After a barrage of first-half chances had gone begging, it seemed as though the home side may have missed their opportunity to put themselves into the lead against the highest-ranked team in the land.
But a goal from Ross Stewart after 35 minutes put Saints into a shock 1-0 lead and there were further chances to extend the lead beyond that.
Arsenal were forced to bring on the big guns, with Sweden’s Viktor Gyokeres scoring an equaliser midway through the second half.
It seemed as though Arsenal would proceed to win from there but they were stunned by a Shea Charles goal five minutes from time and it was Saints who advanced and not the Gunners.
It was an incredible reminder that anything can happen in football and also in the FA Cup but for Fulham supporters, players and Marco Silva, it was also frustrating that it is not them heading to Wembley at the end of the month.
With Fulham currently in the midst of a battle for European football next year, a cup run charge alongside it would not have gone amiss and having lost to Southampton to a last minute penalty from Stewart, it was a case of what if for The Cottagers.
Against Arsenal, Southampton were the better team and deserved to advance to the semi-finals.
But at Craven Cottage it was not the case, with Fulham dominating possession (68%) and having almost three times the number of shots (17 compared to six) as Saints in the fifth round match.
Marco Silva was left frustrated after Fulham were dumped out of the FA Cup by Southampton. Image Credit: Reuters.Marco Silva made the decision to rest a few crucial members of the team, in particular not starting Raul Jimenez , Alex Iwobi or Calvin Bassey and with Harry Wilson out injured, Fulham were unable to make the most of their chances.
That saw in the end a relatively feeble exit from the competition and when Southampton were drawn against Arsenal, it felt like maybe Fulham had dodged a bullet.
But with Arsenal starting to crack, this could have been an opportunity for Fulham, who showed they can compete against the Gunners when only losing 1-0 in October.
It is fruitless wondering now but there will be a slight feeling of jealousy and whataboutery around Fulham fans when Saints are at Wembley.
Of course, if Fulham reach European football, it will be forgotten quickly but if not, it may feel like a wasted opportunity after such an excellent season.