Southampton, ENGLAND – Southampton have booked their place in the FA Cup semi-finals after pulling off a dramatic 2-1 victory over Arsenal at St Mary’s Stadium on Saturday night. The defeat knocks Mikel Arteta’s side out of the competition at the quarter-final stage, dealing the Gunners their second consecutive loss.
Okay News understands that the Saints, coming into the match on a formidable 14-game unbeaten run, took the lead in the 34th minute. Full-back James Bree delivered a clipped cross into the box that evaded Ben White, allowing Scottish forward Ross Stewart to lash the ball past goalkeeper Kepa. Arsenal had dominated possession for stretches of the first half and saw the returning Martin Odegaard—making his first start since mid-February—go close on multiple occasions, but the hosts held their nerve heading into the break.
Looking for a response, Arteta turned to his bench in the second half, bringing on Riccardo Calafiori, Noni Madueke, and Viktor Gyokeres. The tactical shift paid off in the 67th minute when Gabriel threaded an inch-perfect pass to Kai Havertz, who seamlessly squared the ball for Gyokeres to slot home the equalizer.
However, Southampton reclaimed the lead and sealed the tie with just five minutes of normal time remaining.
Working the ball aggressively down the right flank, the hosts found substitute Shea Charles, who showed superb composure to place his shot into the bottom corner. The late strike secured a historic trip to Wembley for Southampton, while Arsenal must now quickly regroup ahead of their crucial Champions League quarter-final first leg against Sporting CP in Lisbon on Tuesday.
