When the draw for the quarter-finals of this year’s FA Cup was made, we seemed set for some fascinating ties. There was a nice blend of fixtures. However, ultimately it was expected that we would see three of the best teams in the Premier League advance to the semis, and that they would be joined by a fourth top-flight club that was battling relegation, with West Ham v Leeds probably the toughest of the four matches to call.
Manchester City beat Liverpool 4-0 first up, a result that most would have predicted, albeit not by the emphatic 4-0 margin the hosts recorded at the Etihad. The next clash saw an even bigger win, with Chelsea swiftly ending any romantic dreams struggling Port Vale had about a trip to Wembley. The Blues won 7-0, having taken the lead in the second minute.
Saturday’s final game, however, produced a huge upset. Arsenal were away from home but even so, few expected them to have any trouble brushing aside a Southampton side 26 places below them. The Saints are pushing for a play-off spot in the Championship. In contrast, Arsenal are top of the PL by nine points and won all eight of their Champions League games during the league phase this term. The Gunners are favourites for both competitions and were favourites for the FA Cup too when the quarter-final lineup was revealed.
Saints Stun Arteta as Romance Lives on in FA Cup
Arsenal arrived on the south coast as big favourites, even though they had made seven changes from the side that had lost to Man City in the EFL Cup final. Eleven Gunners withdrew from international squads before or during the international break, and many questioned whether these were legitimate or whether players were prioritising club over country.
We got an answer to that question with regards to Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard, with those three all absent from Mikel Arteta’s squad. William Saliba was deemed fit enough only for the bench.
Southampton v Arsenal Starting 11s
| Southampton | Arsenal |
|---|---|
| Daniel Peretz | Kepa Arrizabalaga |
| Ryan Manning | Myles Lewis-Skelly |
| Nathan Wood | Gabriel Magalhães |
| Taylor Harwood-Bellis | Cristhian Mosquera |
| James Bree | Ben White |
| Caspar Jander | Christian Nørgaard |
| Cam Bragg | Martin Ødegaard |
| Léo Scienza | Gabriel Martinelli |
| Finn Azaz | Kai Havertz |
| Tom Fellows | Max Dowman |
| Ross Stewart | Gabriel Jesus |
Even so, the away side still fielded an exceptionally strong XI. Surprisingly, however, it was the hosts that took the lead. Scottish striker Ross Stewart has only scored five goals in the Championship this term, but he produced a neat finish after a Ben White error in the 35th minute. His side came into this clash unbeaten in 14 games, a run that has seen them move into strong contention for a top-six finish. They would have been quietly confident they were capable of an upset on home soil and taking the lead emboldened them further.
Tonda Eckert’s men had a plan and they executed it very well. They moved the ball forward quickly, looking to turn the Gunners’ defence and get in behind them, and it worked brilliantly. Arsenal dominated possession, having almost 64% of the ball, but that was entirely expected. Looking only at the statistics, one might feel Arteta’s men were unlucky, with 23 shots (to seven for the hosts) and 60 touches in the opposition box (compared to 18).
However, the Gunners never really looked overly threatening, and the Saints deserved their famous win. They created better chances and looked more dangerous when they attacked, largely keeping Arsenal at bay.
Arteta made a triple substitution on the hour mark to try and alter the course of the match, but the introduction of Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke and Ricardo Calafiori did little to help. The hosts continued to look more likely to score, with Leo Scienza hitting the bar.
Gyokeres would go on to score for the away team, netting an equaliser in the 68th minute after a Kai Havertz pass, and at that stage Arteta would have expected his side to go on and win the game. However, it was the hosts who produced the winner.
Jubilation and Wembley
Arsenal pressed for a winner without creating all that much, but in the 85th minute sub Shea Charles sent the home crowd wild with the goal that earnt his side a trip to Wembley. The Saints will hope it is the first of two such trips (or maybe even three!) as they look to return to the top flight via the play-offs.
As for Arsenal, they are in serious danger of their season falling apart. Quadruple dreams have been left in tatters, and any fan would no doubt gladly accept any trophy this term. On a bad night for the club, there was also a further injury blow, with Gabriel having to come off due to an injury to his right leg.
He walked off the pitch relatively freely, but the Gunners have some huge games ahead, including their Champions League quarter-final against Sporting. Saliba replaced Gabriel against the Saints, but Arteta would love to have both of them on the pitch during the crucial run-in.
However, while it was a bad night for Arteta and his side, Southampton are now 15 games unbeaten and have an FA Cup semi-final to savour. Promotion will be the main aim, but the Wembley semi will be an occasion their fans can really enjoy.
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