Super sub Shea Charles fired Southampton to Wembley as Tonda Eckert’s Championship side stunned Premier League leaders Arsenal in a famous FA Cup quarter-final victory.
Mikel Arteta’s injury-disrupted Gunners 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 Gyokeres cancelling out Ross Stewart’s first half opener.
A semi-final at Wembley awaits later this month for the Championship play-off 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.
