EFL: Giant Killers - Southampton Dend Arsenal Out of FA Cup

Southampton beat Arsenal, advance to semi-finals

Arsenal's treble hopes dashed as Southampton pull off massive upset in FA Cup. Southampton shock Arsenal with 2-1 win, booking their spot in the FA Cup semi-finals.

Arsenal fall to Southampton, Gunners shocked at St Mary's...

Southampton are heading to the FA Cup semi-finals after stunning Premier League leaders Arsenal 2-1 at St Mary's Stadium. The Saints are riding high on the spirit of their 1976 FA Cup-winning side, ending Arsenal's 14-match unbeaten away run in all competitions.

Mikel Arteta had nearly two weeks to regroup after the Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City, but it wasn't enough to secure an Arsenal win. The Gunners were looking to add to their trophy cabinet, having won the FA Cup during Arteta's tenure, but Southampton's determination proved too much.

50 years on from winning the competition...@SouthamptonFC are heading back to Wembley!

See you in the semi-finals 👏 pic.twitter.com/xWcwAtWjk1

— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) April 4, 2026

The Gunners were on high alert with a treble up for grabs, and they created early chances for Max Dowman and Gabriel Martinelli. Martinelli's effort was thwarted by a stunning block from Taylor Harwood-Bellis. But the Championship side wasn't having it, refusing to be intimidated. Léo Scienza broke through one-on-one with Kepa Arrizabalaga, only to be expertly shut down by Cristhian Mosquera.

The Gunners were pushing hard, looking to take control. Daniel Peretz was called into action, making a crucial save on Martin Ødegaard's strike. He had another tough one moments later, as Odegaard blazed a close-range effort over the bar, leaving Arteta frustrated on the touchline.

Ross Stewart pounced on a swift counterattack, capitalizing on Arsenal's defensive lapse. James Bree's clever ball looped over Ben White, allowing Stewart to fire home past Kepa and send the Saints ahead. The Gunners had chances to respond, but sloppy defending almost cost them dearly again. Max Dowman's effort was blocked by Ryan Manning, keeping the score at 1-0. 

Gabriel's careless cross-field pass gifted Tom Fellows a chance, but he blazed his shot over the target. The Saints were on the attack again, with Léo Scienza coming tantalizingly close to doubling their lead. He cut inside from the left and unleashed a powerful right-footed strike that crashed off the bar, leaving the Arsenal goalkeeper stunned.

That near-miss ended up being costly for Southampton. Substitute Viktor Gyökeres, fresh from securing Sweden's FIFA World Cup spot with a winning goal against Poland, made a crucial impact. He slotted home from Kai Havertz's cut-back, which was set up by Gabriel's through ball.

Arsenal seemed poised to take control of the game from that point. Max Dowman had a chance to be the hero with a fine left-footed strike, but Peretz made a great save to tip it behind.

Martinelli's effort went wide from the resulting corner, but Southampton stunned everyone by scoring again. Tom Fellows made a great run forward, laying the ball into the path of substitute Shea Charles, who coolly placed a fine finish past Kepa – it clipped the post and went in.

The hosts endured six nail-biting minutes of stoppage time, but Tonda Eckert's side held on for the win, securing a spot in the semi-finals. 

The goal that set @SouthamptonFC en route to victory 👏 pic.twitter.com/OnXxduFyeT

— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) April 4, 2026

The German manager has made history, becoming only the third Saints manager to win his first four games in the FA Cup, following in the footsteps of George Goss in 1925 and Alan Pardew in 2009/10. Southampton is heading to Wembley, while Arsenal's chances of winning another trophy are slipping away, marking a tough fortnight for Mikel Arteta's team.