Southampton created one of the biggest shocks in the FA Cup this season when they defeated championship contender Arsenal, thereby ending the "Gunners'" 14-match unbeaten streak away from home.
The victory not only brought the team playing in the Championship to the semi-finals, but also evoked the resilient spirit of the 1976 FA Cup champion generation.
Arsenal entered the match with high determination after the defeat in the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City. Mikel Arteta's team soon created pressure with opportunities from Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli and young talent Max Dowman. However, the excellence of goalkeeper Daniel Peretz and Southampton's defense caused opportunities to pass unfortunately one after another.
Not only standing firm, Southampton also unexpectedly took the lead in the 35th minute. From a quick counter-attack, James Bree sent an accurate pass for Ross Stewart to finish neatly, defeating Kepa Arrizabalaga. This goal put Arsenal in a difficult chase.
Although Viktor Gyokeres promptly equalized for the away team after halftime, Arsenal still could not control the game. Mistakes in the defense continued to cost them a heavy price. In the 85th minute, Tom Fellows broke through strongly before assisting Shea Charles to score the winning goal 2-1 for Southampton.
6 minutes of tense added time were not enough for Arsenal to reverse the situation. Southampton stubbornly defended the achievement, thereby winning a ticket to Wembley. Meanwhile, Arsenal continued to experience a disappointing period when they missed another opportunity to win the title.
