The talk of a quadruple always felt fanciful, quashed by defeat at Wembley a fortnight ago, and now, after being humbled by second-tier Southampton, suddenly Arsenal are left fighting on just the two fronts.
A late Shea Charles strike earned their fearless Championship opponents, transformed by Tonda Eckert from relegation candidates into prime promotion hopefuls within six months, a ticket to play under the arch in the FA Cup semi-finals at the end of this month.
For Saints, only the fifth team to beat the Premier League leaders this season, the spirit of 76 lives on. For Arsenal, after the pain of a Carabao Cup final loss, this spelled successive defeats for the first time this campaign and now their season really is at risk of unravelling. There is no time for Mikel Arteta or his players to mope, with a flight to Lisbon in less than 48 hours for Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final first leg at Sporting. After the second leg, the small matter of a Premier League trip to Manchester City, who trail them by nine points but possess a game in hand.
With 84 minutes on the clock, Arteta presumably suspected Viktor Gyökeres, one of his substitutes, had taken an intoxicating tie to extra time. Gyökeres cancelled out Ross Stewart’s first-half strike, seizing on his first sniff of goal, but it was Charles, a second-half arrival for Southampton, who earned the hosts victory and passage to the last four. Another sub, Cyle Larin, began the move, protecting the ball on halfway, his back to goal. Charles was also involved in the buildup and, after gathering Tom Fellows’ pass inside the box on his left foot, the former Manchester City youngster calmly found the corner with his right, via a post, to cue ecstasy in the stands.
Southampton’s players, as in previous rounds, starting at Doncaster in January, wore a limited-edition yellow-and-blue commemorative strip to celebrate the 50th anniversary of winning this competition at the old Wembley, when Bobby Stokes scored the only goal to immortalise Lawrie McMenemy’s side. Every now and then yellow balloons to mark the occasion blew across the pitch. The shirts carried only numbers – no names – on the reverse but Ben White, released by Southampton at 16, is unlikely to forget Stewart or the lively Léo Scienza anytime soon.
Perhaps most frustrating for Arsenal was the fact Stewart’s opener, 11 minutes before half-time, started on the edge of their own 18-yard box. Martin Ødegaard, featuring for the first time since February’s north London derby win, surrendered possession with a loose backheel and Scienza, the Brazilian who returned for the hosts, carried the ball towards halfway. Saints flew forward, now five v five and when James Bree looked towards the back post he spied Stewart lurking. White completely misjudged Bree’s chipped cross and Stewart, after chesting the ball, dispatched a low strike past Kepa Arrizabalaga, one of four players retained from the Wembley defeat by City.
Southampton quickly announced themselves as nightmarish opponents, Fellows haring at Gabriel Maghahães inside the first 60 seconds and a couple of minutes later Scienza scurried into the box. The game’s first big chance fell to Scienza when Daniel Peretz’s kick downfield skidded off the head of Gabriel. Scienza was in on goal but by attempting to round Arrizabalaga he allowed Cristhian Mosquera the chance to intervene. Arsenal also wasted an inviting opening, an unmarked Ødegaard fluffing his lines after Gabriel Martinelli cut the ball back from the left.
All Gyökeres required was a sniff of goal to restore parity but before he levelled Southampton had chances to double their advantage. Fellows excitedly blasted over after intercepting Mosquera’s poorpass and then Scienza fired another warning, cutting inside White and curling a right-foot shot on to the top of the Arsenal bar. But while Saints led by only a single goal, Arsenal were very much alive and when Kai Havertz ran off Cameron Bragg, the 20-year-old academy graduate, and pulled the ball back from inside the six-yard box, Gyökeres buried his finish.
Just as Arsenal sought to dial up the pressure, the 16-year-old Max Dowman, on his third senior start, forcing Peretz into a save and Martinelli thrashing wide after a short-corner routine, it was Saints who found a second goal through Charles, who returned from Northern Ireland duty only on Friday. Deep into six minutes of stoppage time the centre-back Nathan Wood celebrated a goal-kick like a third.
Saints embarked on a glorious victory lap, linking hands and charging in unison towards the Northam Stand. Scienza, lagging behind the rest of his teammates, soaked the love from the home support. Stewart, somehow, revved them up another notch or two as, fittingly, Just Can’t Get Enough blared over the speakers.
“We’re back in Championship action in north Wales on Tuesday night,” came the message from the stadium announcer, sensing the party may be subsiding. Who, really, was he kidding? “Que sera, sera, whatever will be, will be,” the home fans sang on loop. It was a line that, strangely, felt an equally apt takeaway for Arsenal on a sobering night.
