Fifty years after their one and solely FA Cup success, underdogs Southampton are once more beautiful top-flight opposition – and doing so in model.
In 1976, Saints had been a Second Division staff after they shocked Manchester United with a 1-0 win within the remaining, with the 2026 facet carrying comparable yellow shirts in celebration of that facet.
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Quick ahead to the trendy day, and Southampton are once more profitable in opposition to the percentages, beating Premier League leaders Arsenal 2-1 within the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday amid an exciting environment at St Mary’s.
“This isn’t a fluke,” mentioned former Saints striker Alan Shearer on BBC One. And he was proper. Victory went to the higher facet on the night time.
Ross Stewart put Southampton forward within the first half, however when Arsenal equalised by means of Viktor Gyokeres it was maybe logical to imagine the Gunners would go on to safe a Wembley semi-final spot.
But earlier than the sport, Saints boss Tonda Eckert had tipped Shea Charles to make a “massive affect” off the bench, and the substitute did simply that by scoring an Eighty fifth-minute winner.
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It means Southampton are into the semi-finals for the 14th time.
“I bought advised to come back on and attempt to pay money for the sport, attempt to hold the ball a bit,” mentioned Charles. “We did OK, however to attain was simply particular. I assumed ‘simply attempt to place it within the nook’.”
Southampton attacking midfielder Leo Scienza was among the many staff’s most eye-catching performers.
He mentioned: “Arsenal are the very best staff in England and top-of-the-line groups on the planet proper now, so it is troublesome to cease the standard they’ve, however we did very properly.
“There aren’t any phrases to explain how a lot we fought right this moment. It was not luck, we fought so laborious and we deserved it. Superb.”
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Wembley 3 times in the identical season?
For Southampton, this consequence continues a outstanding turnaround to their season.
Having been relegated in 2024-25 with solely 12 factors, the second lowest whole for the reason that prime flight was rebranded because the Premier League within the early Nineteen Nineties, Southampton had been anticipated to push for an prompt return.
When their new boss Will Nonetheless was sacked in November, although, Saints had been twenty first within the Championship and seemingly at risk of dropping into League One.
However the membership promoted German coach Eckert from his function with the membership’s under-21s and so they now sit seventh within the Championship, one level behind sixth-placed Wrexham within the remaining play-off spot.
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They face Wrexham in an away league sport on Tuesday. The Arsenal sport was massive, however Wrexham on the Stok Cae Ras might be thought-about simply as essential.
Southampton shall be at Wembley not less than as soon as – within the FA Cup semi-final – and possibly twice extra on prime in the event that they attain the play-off remaining after which the FA Cup remaining.
“It is a massive night time for us. We knew we needed to dig deep in some moments,” mentioned Eckert.
“Over the 90 minutes it was very properly deserved.
“They seem to be a good staff and you’ll throw issues at them and so they at all times have options. They’re so properly managed and hard to come back up in opposition to. We had some moments the place we did discover a few options.
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“Then there are the substitutions that change the sport – we made fairly good substitutions. Ultimately it was an enormous night time for us and an enormous night time for the supporters.”
Former Southampton defender Francis Benali, talking on BBC Radio 5 Reside, mentioned: “What a consequence. Simply have a look at what it means to the supporters and the gamers. I am happy with them. They deserved it.
“What an achievement in opposition to what’s a formidable Arsenal facet.”
Southampton reached the final 4 of the FA Cup for the primary time since 2021 [Getty Images]
For Arsenal, this was a second successive defeat, coming after they’d been overwhelmed 2-0 by Manchester Metropolis within the Wembley remaining of the Carabao Cup.
England legend Shearer, talking on BBC One, mentioned: “Southampton deserve their journey to Wembley.
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“They had been completely magnificent and the job that Tonda Eckert has performed, what an evening for them. They nonetheless had the assumption that they might go on and win this sport and so they did. This isn’t a fluke. Completely deserved.
“What a job that Eckert has performed, the assumption that he has given this soccer membership from the place they had been to the place they’re now.”
Southampton would be the solely non-Premier League staff within the semi-finals, having gone by means of on Saturday alongside Manchester Metropolis and Chelsea, with the final spot to go to both West Ham or Leeds, who play their quarter-final on Sunday.
Scienza realises Southampton are nonetheless a good distance from lifting the cup, however just like the heroes of 1976 they’ll hold believing.
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“If you wish to win the title, it’s important to beat all of them,” he mentioned. “All the opposite groups shall be very troublesome, however in the meanwhile we simply should be grateful.”