Let’s take a look at the FA Cup Player Ratings from the showdown between Southampton and Arsenal over at the St. Mary’s Stadium.
A first-half own goal was enough to knock FA Cup holders Arsenal out of the competition in a 1-0 fourth-round defeat to Southampton at St. Mary’s.
In the first of two games between the two clubs on the south coast, Arsenal struggled to exert any real goalscoring opportunities. Gabriel Martinelli, arguably their best player in the first half, had the club’s only attempt on goal that hit the target in the opening period.
Mikel Arteta’s men, who were without skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for a ‘personal issue’, enjoyed long spells in possession but simply couldn’t find an answer past a stubborn Southampton defense.
And their lack of threat in the final third proved their undoing in only the 24th-minute. Kyle Walker-Peters fired a dangerous cross across Cedric’s legs, with the ball then taking a deflection off Gabriel to put Southampton ahead. Incidentally, it was the first time Arsenal had conceded in 508 minutes of football.
Arsenal are 1-0 down to Southampton after a Gabriel own goal 🙄#FACup pic.twitter.com/tD2X8z9PKo
— Goal (@goal) January 23, 2021
The Gunners improved in the second-half as Arteta brought in the changes. Bukayo Saka, Alexandre Lacazette, and Thomas Partey all came on – but to no avail. Southampton refused to budge, leaving goalkeeper Fraser Forster relatively untroubled.
Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, therefore, progressed to the fifth round of the FA Cup after sealing only a second victory in 10 meetings with Arsenal in all competitions (D3 L5). The two clubs meet again on Tuesday in the Premier League.
Player ratings
Southampton: Forster (6); Walker-Peters (7), Bednarek (8), Stephens (8), Bertrand (7); Armstrong (6), Ward-Prowse (7), Diallo (7), Walcott (6); Ings (7), Adams (6).
Bench: Lundulu (6), Long (6).
Arsenal: Leno (6); Bellerin (7), Holding (7), Gabriel (5), Cedric (6); Elnemy (5), Xhaka (6); Pepe (7), Willian (6), Martinelli (6); Nketiah (5).
Bench: Saka (6), Lacazette (6), Partey (6).
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