Super-substitute Shea Charles fired Southampton to Wembley as Tonda Eckert’s Championship side stunned Premier League leaders Arsenal in a famous FA Cup quarterfinal victory.
Mikel Arteta’s injury-disrupted side arrived at St Mary’s as overwhelming favourites a fortnight on from their galling Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City.
However, their treble tilt ended on the south coast after Charles secured a late 2-1 victory as Southampton bounced back from Viktor Gyökeres cancelling out Ross Stewart’s first-half opener.
A semifinal at Wembley awaits later this month for the Championship playoff hopefuls, who are dreaming of replicating Lawrie McMenemy’s second tier Saints winning the FA Cup in 1976.
It was just a fifth defeat of the campaign for Arsenal, who sit nine points clear at the top of the Premier League but have plenty of soul searching to do after costly back-to-back cup losses.
