Mikel Arteta rued Arsenal’s ‘defending errors’ as his team suffered consecutive defeats for the first time this season and were dumped out of the FA Cup thanks to a 2-1 loss at Southampton.
Super sub Shea Charles fired the Saints to Wembley as Tonda Eckert’s Championship side stunned the Premier League leaders Arsenal in a famous FA Cup quarter-final victory.
Arteta’s injury-disrupted Gunners arrived at St Mary’s as overwhelming favourites a fortnight on from their galling Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City.
However, their treble tilt ended on the south coast after Charles secured a late victory as Southampton bounced back from Viktor Gyokeres cancelling out Ross Stewart’s first-half opener.
A semi-final at Wembley awaits later this month for the Championship play-off hopefuls, who are dreaming of replicating Lawrie McMenemy’s second-tier Saints winning the FA Cup in 1976.
It was just a fifth defeat of the campaign for Arsenal, who sit nine points clear at the top of the Premier League but have plenty of soul searching to do after costly back-to-back cup losses.
There was an electricity around St Mary’s before kick-off – an intensity matched by Southampton’s players, who looked unmoved by the fact they were hosting the Premier League’s best.
Leo Scienza saw an early penalty shout against Gabriel Magalhaes ignored during an end-to-end start, with 16-year-old Max Dowman denied before Taylor Harwood-Bellis headed over a threatening Gabriel Martinelli effort.
Saints continued to take the game to Arsenal and Scienza should have scored in the 18th minute.
Gabriel mistimed a jump and ended up flicking a long ball for the Brazilian winger to race in behind, only to take a touch around Kepa Arrizabalaga rather than shoot as Cristhian Mosquera got back to deny him.
That scare shook Arsenal into life. Odegaard was denied from 20 yards by Daniel Peretz and then scuffed an effort wide, with Dowman and Kai Havertz next to have chances as the Gunners turned the screw.
But just as Saints began to wobble Odegaard’s backheel deep in opposition territory was picked up by Scienza, who cuts across the field and played on to James Bree.
The right-back was allowed an inordinate amount of time to advance and clip a cross to the far post, which White misjudged and Stewart brought down before rifling home.
The 35th-minute goal sparked bedlam around St Mary’s and stunned Arsenal, who offered precious little by way of response before the break.
Ryan Manning charged down a Dowman drive when play resumed, but Saints were offering a threat on the break and some of their crosses were causing problems.
The Gunners also proved capable of causing issues for themselves, including a loose Mosquera pass which led to Tom Fellows lashing over.
Southampton soon went closer still, with Scienza cutting on to his right just inside the box and bending a wonderful effort that struck the crossbar.
Arteta had made a triple change just before that effort and one of those introduced levelled in the 68th minute.
Gabriel exceptionally slipped through Havertz, who took a touch before pulling back for Gyokeres to level with a sharp finish.
Arsenal were forced into a change as Gabriel limped off to be replaced by William Saliba, with the hosts sinking deeper as the clock wound down.
Peretz did well to stop Dowman curling home and Martinelli drove wide as a late winner became more likely.
Few expected the Championship side to land the knockout blow, yet Saints managed to squeeze the ball through to Charles in the 85th minute and the substitute struck home coolly.
It was a jaw-dropping moment followed by some late jitters. Noni Madueke and Riccardo Calafiori tried to level, but Arsenal fell short.
Arteta told TNT Sports that he was not suprised by the result and, despite thinking Arsenal should have made it to Wembley, he said his team must take responsibility for the defeat.
“We had so much dominance, so many situations in and around the box but we conceded the first goal in a very unusual way for us. The second one from direct play as well. They had another chance in the first half that was similar,” the Arsenal boss explained.
“When you have that many situations in the final third, we had two massive chances before Southampton scored, we need to capitalise on that otherwise if you make the defending errors that we made today it is very difficult to win a quarter-final.
“Surprised? No. They are a good side in a really good run and you have to congratulate them.
“You have to adapt, to the wind, to the injuries, to whatever. You want to win every competition and you have to adapt to any context. You have to adapt to difficult situations and disappointing situations. Now we have to show what we are made of.
“That team had moments in the game that they should have capitalised on and we should be at Wembley. We haven’t done it so that’s our responsibility.”
