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FA Cup champions Arsenal were out of the competition in the fourth round following a 1-0 loss at Southampton on Saturday.
Gabriel’s own goal in the first half was enough for Southampton to win over Arsenal for the first time in the FA Cup.
– Watch the FA Cup LIVE on ESPN + in the US.
– Ratings: Gabriel 4/10 when the bid for the FA Cup ends
The result puts an end to Arsenal’s six undefeated matches in all competitions.
Before the game, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had traveled but was not available to play for “personal reasons”.
Southampton started brilliantly and James Ward-Prowse came close to scoring in the five minutes, but his corner hit the crossbar.
Former Arsenal forward Theo Walcott also had a chance moments later, but couldn’t find a way to get past Bernd Leno.
The hosts took a well-earned lead after 24 minutes when Gabriel deflected on a low cross from Kyle Walker-Peters.
Arsenal improved in the second half and Rob Holding had a good chance to equalize from a corner, but missed the target.
Both teams were close to scoring after the hour mark when Walcott shot from close range, while Eddie Nketiah produced a good save from Fraser Forster.
Nketiah couldn’t score with a decent chance in injury time and Southampton held on. They will face the Wolves in the fifth round of the FA Cup in February.
“We were stronger and stronger in the first half,” Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl told BT Sport. “In the second half it is normal for them to have momentum. We must score the second goal.
“We made one or two chances. Shane Long should have taken a penalty. We had early ball wins, but our last decision wasn’t always the best. Overall, our off-ball work was good. It was a good team performance today.”
It was the third in the past four seasons that Arsenal failed to advance to the fifth round of the competition.
“It’s really sad to be out of the competition,” Arteta told BT Sport after the match. “Disappointed to be out and the way we fit in. We had problems in the first half and unforced errors as a result of the high pressure they have.
“In the second half we had two or three great chances but not enough. It was an even game. In the first half they won a lot of second balls. In the second half we added more quality.
“We became more dominant and created opportunities, but it was not enough. We are looking at the market and we see what we can do.”
