Arsenal suffered late heartbreak as Southampton’s Shea Charles struck in the closing stages to send the Premier League leaders crashing out of the FA Cup at the quarter-final stage.
The defeat marked Arsenal’s first outing since their Carabao Cup final loss to Manchester City and came after an international break during which 11 Gunners players withdrew from national team duties due to injury concerns.
Despite those setbacks, manager Mikel Arteta named a strong starting lineup featuring captain Martin Ødegaard, Kai Havertz, Ben White and Gabriel Magalhães, as Arsenal looked to book a place in the semi-finals.
However, while the visitors dominated possession, it was Southampton who created the more dangerous opportunities throughout the contest.
The hosts took the lead in the 35th minute following a floated delivery into the penalty area. White misjudged the flight of James Bree’s cross, allowing Ross Stewart to bring the ball under control before firing a composed finish past Kepa Arrizabalaga into the right corner.
Arteta responded with a triple substitution in the second half, introducing Viktor Gyökeres, Noni Madueke and Riccardo Calafiori in a bid to turn the tide. Arsenal eventually found a breakthrough in the 68th minute when Gabriel’s incisive pass released Havertz, who squared the ball for Gyökeres to slot home the equaliser.
Southampton, however, refused to relent. Substitute Shea Charles proved to be the match-winner, latching onto a short pass from Fellows before drilling a precise finish into the bottom-left corner, sparking wild celebrations among the home supporters.
Arsenal pushed for a second equaliser in the closing minutes but were unable to find a way through, as Southampton secured a memorable victory to reach the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2021.
