FA Cup: Arsenal knocked out by seventh-placed Championship side Southampton – the quarter-final results

Southampton v Arsenal - Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final

In a surprise result, the Gunners, who top the Premier League table, lost to a mid-table team in the second division

The Premier League is taking a weekend break, but action resumes next week with the first early kick-off of Matchday 32 scheduled for Friday 10 April between West Ham and Wolverhampton. Today, however, three of the four FA Cup quarter-finals were played in England. The first big side to take to the pitch was Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, who cruised to victory against Liverpool in Saturday’s big match: a 4-0 win, with a hat-trick from Haaland and a goal from Semenyo. Chelsea scored seven goals against Port Vale – bottom of League One, the third tier – with manager Rosenior rotating his squad, resulting in seven different goalscorers: Hato broke the deadlock after just two minutes, followed by Joao Pedro, and three minutes before half-time, Lawrence-Gabriel scored an own goal. In the second half, goals came from Adarabioyo, Andrey Santos, Estevao and Garnacho.

THE MATCH

The surprise came in today’s final match, with Southampton – currently seventh in the Championship (second tier) and outside the play-off places – knocking Arteta’s Arsenal, top of the Premier League, out of the competition: a 2-1 win for the home side, who had broken the deadlock through a goal from Scottish striker Ross Stewart, Gyokeres, who came on as a substitute, had equalised for the Gunners with just over twenty minutes remaining, but in the final five minutes, a goal from midfielder Shea Charles – born in 2003 and a product of Manchester City’s youth academy – saw Arsenal suffer a surprise elimination. Tomorrow sees the final quarter-final clash, with West Ham v Leeds scheduled for 5.30 pm.