Shea Charles’ late winner sent Southampton into the Emirates FA Cup semi-finals at Arsenal’s expense as the Championship side stunned the Premier League leaders at St Mary’s.
Sporting a commemorative yellow kit to mark the 50th anniversary of their FA Cup triumph, Saints channelled the spirit of their 1976 heroes to knock out the 14-time winners.
Ross Stewart opened the scoring in the first half and though Viktor Gyokeres equalised midway through the second period, substitute Charles picked out the bottom corner with five minutes to play to spark jubilant scenes on the south coast and send Saints into the last four for the first time since 2021.
The clash between the 2003 finalists was end-to-end for the majority of the first half, with both sides threatening.
Leo Scienza saw a penalty appeal waved away after going down under the challenge of Gabriel while Arsenal came close when a well-worked corner routine led to Gabriel Martinelli curling a goalbound effort from 20 yards which was crucially headed over by Taylor Harwood-Bellis.
Arsenal continued to look vulnerable against long balls and Scienza got in behind again on 18 minutes but took too long to get his shot away, allowing Cristhian Mosquera to get back and clear the danger.
Martin Odegaard fired two warning shots in as many minutes, the first saved by Daniel Peretz and the second scuffed wide after fine work by Martinelli.
Peretz was called into action again to beat away a right-footed shot from the bright Max Dowman before Kai Havertz took aim from distance and saw a deflected effort land just the wrong side of the post.
Southampton continued to look dangerous on the break and it was from one such counter-attack that they took the lead. James Bree’s chip into the box was misjudged by Ben White, allowing Stewart to take a touch and coolly slot past Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Saints had to dig deep to repel a string of Arsenal set pieces early in the second half and had an opportunity to double their lead when Tom Fellows seized on Mosquera’s loose pass but blazed over.
The lively Scienza then came within a whisker of stretching the hosts’ advantage, cutting inside and curling a shot which clipped the top of the crossbar.
Having survived their let-offs, Arsenal got back on level terms. Gyokeres, introduced as part of a triple substitution having scored the winner which sent Sweden to the World Cup in midweek, continued a fine individual week by converting Havertz’s cutback after the German was set free by Gabriel’s excellent pass.
Peretz did well to keep out another Dowman effort and Martinelli flashed an effort narrowly wide as Arsenal sought a winner before being hit by a sucker punch with five minutes remaining.
Fellows was the creator, driving at the Gunners defence before passing infield to Charles, who dispatched a confident finish past Arrizabalaga to put his side back in front.
Martinelli directed a tame effort straight at Peretz in injury time as Arsenal sought a response but Saints held firm to book a trip to Wembley.
